


Stuck on you

by likestemsintothesky



Category: My Engineer (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cupcake - Freeform, Escort Service, Fluff and Smut, FrongThara, Love at First Sight, M/M, Slow Burn, Smut, TharaFrong, Yearning, switching POVs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:06:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 55,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25731076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likestemsintothesky/pseuds/likestemsintothesky
Summary: Frong is a hooker in need of easy and quick cash. Thara is a brilliant doctor. Their paths cross, they catch feelings and get burned in the process.
Relationships: Duen Krisada Rattananumchok/Bon Sirikarnkul, Frong Korawit Kankun/Thara
Comments: 325
Kudos: 217





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first fanfic for My Engineer, I hope you'll like it! Thara and Frong might end up feeling a bit OOC because of their situation, but I hope you'll still love them. Leave a comment to share your opinion, ask me questions or tell me whatever is on your mind: I love talking to you and I usually reply back!

  
**THARA**

  
"I don't think I'll make it this weekend, Duen. Work has kept me busier than usual and I'm quite behind with my research: I really need to devote the little time I have to that. Maybe a couple of weeks from now would be more reasonable," Thara says as he gets out of his car and hands the key to the valet. He is not fond of driving, his choice going to public transportation, his bike or his roller skates for his daily committments. But showing up at a formal event related to work wearing his protective gear on top of his suit would have been too over the top and definitely frowned upon , especially since he is the recipient of tonight's award and the center of the attention. Apparences are a ridiculous concept but he still has to show respect. 

Invitation in hand, he shows it at the entrance and is directed to the main hall as his cousin keeps dissing him for declining his invitation to hang out. 

"I promise I'll be there next time."

Duen complains for a few more seconds before giving up and telling him he will be in touch. Thara slips the phone in his pocket and fixes his tie before breathing in and taking the few steps that separate him from his collegues. The whole night is a blur of pats on his shoulders, hands shaken and congratulations for his last publication. A couple of journalists ask him questions and take pictures, their curiousity deviating from inquires about his latest discoveries on the cardiotoxicity of anticancer therapies for children to his private life. He flashes them his best smile and avoids to answer before leaving under the pretense that one of the the executives of an oncology foundation has called him over. Instead he heads to the bar where he puts down the half glass of champagne he has barely touched and asks for sparkling water. 

"How are holding up, doctor hot shot?"

Boom and Am come up from behind him, mocking smiles on their faces. He lightly punches Boom on his chest, not meaning any harm. He was the first person he met when he started his specialization at the hospital years before, and he is grateful they were able to go through it together until the end. Am arrived a couple of years later but quickly became part of their small group, her terrified apologies as she drew blood on a ER patient on her first day still object of a few jokes between the three of them.

"I can't wait to go home, my Cupcake is the only one I want to celebrate with."

"You're breaking our hearts," Am laughed. "You really have no affection for us. We thought we were bestfriends!"

"Dream on," Thara says picking up his glass and finishing half of it in one gulp. His eyes quickly scan the room, checking if the important people have left so he can make an escape himself. At the center of the room he sees doctor Nanthiyakun, a tight black dress that leaves almost nothing to anyone's imagination wrapping her curves. But that's not what catches his attention. On the small of her back rests the hand of the man that came with: a younger guy more or less his age, dressed in a dark suit, his tie slightly loose but not to the point of seeming rude. He wonders how he didn't notice him before, realizing right away that his table was probably far from theirs. He can't hear them but he sees him laugh politely at somebody's else joke, his mouth curved up but his eyes not matching the mirth on his lips. His skin pale, almost shining under the lights of the room and in contrast with his dark perfectly styled locks: with that body and his chieseled face he is magazine worth. 

"Oooh, you're looking at _him_."

He turns to Am, interested in knowing more. "I didn't know she had a boyfriend."

"He's not her boyfriend," she says taking a step closer as she lowers her tone. "She paid for him."

"What?!" 

Boom's surprised exclamation makes a few heads turn their way but everyone goes back to their business almost right away. Am elbows him in the stomach: "Be quiet, moron!"

"What do you mean?" he asks her, now even more curious about the handsome stranger he sees for the first time in his life at one of their events. Thara never brought a plus one even when he was dating, set on keeping private life and work as separate as he could, but many doctors would show up with their spouses or partners on some of these kinds of occasions. 

"She did have a boyfriend," she stresses on the past tense lookin at him. He knows well he is quite out of the gossip chain, not really interested in other people's private business. "He broke up with her last month, everyone knows that."

"I didn't," he admits.

"You should pay more attention to the gossip. Anyway, I actually heard her on the phone as she _booked_ him. I didn't think much of it at the time, I thought I might have gotten it wrong. Until he introduced himself tonight. Same name she mentioned when they agreed on the price."

"He is a hooker?!" Boom's voice is again a bit louder but fortunately this time nobody pays attention to him.

"I don't know if that's one of his services but usually escorts do that too, right? I wonder how much extra she has pay to have all of that," Am says while she looks at the guy as if he was a piece of juicy grilled meat. Thara has to snap his fingers in front of her face to make her stop staring. 

"Why wouldyou pay for him when you can have me for free." 

She laughs as soon as Boom's words leave his mouth. "Don't even dare comparing yourself to him. He's in a totally different league. Besides I thought by now you'd know I'm not dating you for your looks." 

"Are you dissing me or is it a compliment?"

"Don't think too much, you know I love you."

"Do you two really have to flirt like this in front of my single ass?" Thara smiles despite his efforts not too. 

"Speaking of your single ass, I have a couple of friends who recently ended their relationships. I can introduce you if you want. Two girls and a guy," Am says taking out her phone and tapping on the screen a few times. His own device vibrates in his pants pocket. "Those are the links to their facebook profiles: if you're interested I'll set you up."

He nods, pretty sure he will end up avoiding another blind date. After his last fiasco they all tried to help him get over his ex. His mother introduced him to her friends' children, his friends organized dinners and nights out with people he didn't know so he could at least hook up with them. Even Duen made his life mission to find him another boyfriend in the beginning of his new found singlehood. But it turned out that most of the times there was zero chemistry, and when it seemed to work it didn't last long. 

From the corner of his eye he briefly watches as Boom and Am still bickers about the stranger, their gazes full of fondness even if they were being jealous of each other. He envies them a little, those feelings of jealousy, the silly small fights and the happiness of making up a vague memory in his mind. He turns around, gaze lost in the crowd as he empties his glass. It is coincidently that his eyes fall back on the handsome stranger and he feels a jolt of elecricity running down his spine when their eyes meet. It lasts a moment before the guy looks away and bows to the crowd around him, only to leave with doctor Nanthiyakun right after.

A few days later he still can't forget the intense look that stranger shot at him, those dark chocolate eyes stuck in his head.

He wonders if he slept with her.

He dreams of that guy's pale hands on him, soft palms caressing his skin.

Thara thinks he might have gone crazy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He dates people for money, half of the times even sleeps with them: no one would want to be involved with someone like him. 
> 
> He is better off alone.

**FRONG**

Frong takes his cap off and throws it on the chair next to the duffel bag he uses for the gym clothes. Hair still damp after the shower, he relaxes as he sits at one of the tables of a familiar restaurant and stretches his legs, his muscles sore after the intense work out, but his mind feeling better than ever. He had the whole day off and used it to run a few errands, one of them being meeting up with his accountant to get the overview of his financial situation. His investments, despite not giving back the splendid results he had hoped for, were giving him a decent amount of profit given the unstable economic situation. At first glance it seemed like it still wasn't time to abandon his job: he has to endure it a little longer than planned. He isn't ecstatic about it, his professional goal not involving being a eye-candy at somebody's arm, nor taking off his clothes. But he can't deny his contentedness because in merely a few years of being an escort he has been able to make almost five times what he would have earned with any regular job. It means not being stuck paying back his family's debts until he is forty. It means he can go back to school and get his degree before he is thirty. It means he still has a chance at succeeding in spite of all the crap that happened following his mom's death.

"Hey, what are you gonna eat?" the waiter, his friend Kao, asks him as he approaches him.

"The usual."

"Coming right up. My break is in ten, I'll keep you company."

He watches as Kao hurries to the kitchen to leave his order before going back to the cashier. He remembers when they used to work here together, the crazy hours running back and forth to serve customers, the walks back to the apartment they shared, sometimes only the two of them on the streets because it was very late at night. Legs so sore they became stiff, paychecks never big enough to pay for everything he needed money for. They lived together for a couple of years but he ended up renting his own place -a smaller apartment he didn't have to share- not long after he switched his profession and started making more money. Kao had gotten a girlfriend around that time and three people definitely made their home too crowded. Besides, being on his own meant he didn't have to evade questions about why he would leave for work at eight at night while wearing expensive clothes and watches. He always cared about keeping his business private, especially since it was temporary and only a mean to archieve a critical financial goal in order to get his life back on track. Someday he would be the one attending those company dinners instead of being paid to be somebody's partner. 

He just needs a little more time.

He is about to check his schedule for the week when he sees a familiar figure skate right in front of him and toward the counter inside the restaurant. It isn't until he has taken off his white helmet that he reconizes the guy who got awarded at the medical event he went to a couple of weeks before. Not only he had looked quite dashing in his dark suit and black tie, but his softer features and cute smile were so in contrast with his stiff posture and the gravity of the topic he spoke of, that Frong couldn't help but become very curious about this outstanding doctor. His employer of that night had told him he was the youngest doctor of their hospital to ever get that recognition for his article -something about cancer in children, if his memory didn't fail him. He remembers looking at him as he gave his speech, a mix of thank you's to his seniors and a brief soliloquy on his research: confidence radiating from every inch of his skin, eyes glistening as he passionately spoke of one of the cases he treated. What stuck though was the genuine smile on his face as he shared his hopes and how the results of his research could improve patients lives and heal them. A smile that turned into a more awkward one when he had to accept compliments and listen to self-congratulary words from some of his fellow doctors. 

He studies him as he slightly leans in on the counter to place his order, a messenger bag on his back, protection gear on his knees and elbows: they look funny on a grownup man wearing black slacks and a white shirt, but kind of cute at the same time. Frong lets out a chuckle when he realizes that he wants to pet his head and tell him to be careful not to fall on his way back. 

If it was very obvious the other night that he would look like a hell of a fine man with his gown on, right now Frong has a hard time seeing him as a serious doctor, a very smart and successful one even. Thinking back he recalls that just a few minutes before leaving the event he had seen him and his friends looking his way. Maybe he was just paranoid, afraid they would know what he was really doing there, but he had felt observed so he had looked towards the bar only to lock eyes with him. When he had lifted his gaze in his direction he had expected judgement and maybe mockery. Instead he had been met with something akin to curiousity, intrigue maybe. And it had been so unexpected that in that moment he had found himself unable to tear his eyes away. He never liked being caught off guard and on any normal circumstance he would have walked his way to face him, ask him what he was looking at and intimidate him as much as he could. Attack before being attacked. But that small smile the doctor had on his lips had kept him rooted on the spot. Luckily his client had decided to leave, sparing him from the embarassment of looking away in shame after having openly stared at him for a few moments. 

He sees Kao come back to the counter with a bag of food for the doctor who quickly grabs it and turns around to leave. Frong looks down at his phone, pretending to be unaware of his surrounding as he randomly taps and scrolls on his screen. Straight guys were particularly sensitive when it came to other men looking at them like that and he definitely didn't want to end up in some dark alley beaten to death because he had dared to appreciate his appearance. 

He hears the wheels softly rolling on the floor right in front of him and looks up in time to catch his back being swallowed by the blues and violets of the evening's sky. 

" _Pad ka prao_ for you," Kao says placing his dinner and a glass of tea on the table before sitting in front of him. "What were you looking at?"

"Nothing, just the dude that just left."

"Who? The Doctor?"

"You know him?"

"Everybody does. He lives in the area, probably alone because he gets his take-away here quite often."

"Oh."

"Why? Are you interested?" Kao grinned mockingly as he sat down in front of him.

"Of course not," he says putting a spoonful of meat and basil in his mouth. "He looked funny, with the helmet and everything else."

"Ah, yeah. He's one of those environment friendly people: crazy about recycling, he volunteers to picks up the trash on the streets. I remember somebody saying he used to clean the beaches too when he was younger. He has a car he rarely uses. One of the waitresses saw him driving once: she wasn't sure about the model but she said it looked expensive so he must be rich too. Most of the times though we see him riding his bike or using his roller skates. He really doesn't give any doctor vibes, right? I heard he's a pediatric oncologist, and a really good one."

"I didn't ask," he says without looking up when Kao stops talking. 

"I know you didn't. But you didn't stop me from telling you either," Kao smirks and Frong can only roll his eyes. "So, wanna do something this Saturday?"

"Can't. I have work in the afternoon and I'm meeting up with old friends from school at night."

"Friends? Plural? You don't have friends besides me and Duen."

"Duen and Bohn," he replied. It's been months since the last time they had seen each other, both busy with their lives. Duen had texted him earlier that week saying they absolutely had to meet before becoming strangers. Lucky for him, a client had cancelled her Saturday night appointment so he had decided to use the empy spot for himself instead of leaving it open in case he got a last-minute request. Duen had been ecstatic, and he had heard Bohn mumbling in the background. 

"He's your enemy, definitely not a friend."

"They're a sort of package at this point: I resigned to the fact I might have to deal with him for as long as I keep hanging out with Duen."

"You love making him mad."

"Yeah," he laughed, actually glad he got to spend a normal night out for once, just like any twenty-four years old guy. "It's been forever since I stopped liking Duen but Bohn still acts as if I want to steal him away."

Not that he would even if he still had feeling for him, his life being too much of a mess to selfishly ask somebody else to be part of it. He dates people for money, half of the times even sleeps with them: no one would want to be involved with someone like him. 

He is better off alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd rather leave no first impression than be remembered in such a messy state. Besides, the guy looks straighter than a ruler and he really doesn't need to make a fool of himself. 
> 
> "Actually we kinda met before," Frong says as they both sit down, surprising him for the second time over the span of a few seconds. "But I doubt you noticed me."

**THARA**

  
Duen had been pestering him for weeks, insisting on having dinner together and relax with friends instead of spending all his free time alone. What he didn't know was that his free time was barely enough to wash up and feed himself before crashing on the couch out of exhaustion. Maybe agreeing on expanding his research had been a mistake because it was starting to get a toll on his social life. Not that he was much of a social butterfly to start with, but falling asleep on the couch five minutes into the news wasn't right either. 

Fortunately in the past few days he had been able to focus quite well and his latest study seemed to be going in the right direction, which meant giving in to his cousin's request of a night out.

The place that had been picked was not far from a metro station, or at least that was what Google Maps was telling him: sometimes the most basic technology failed him. Luckily though, after a few minutes walk he finally spots it on his left. The place looks nice, plants and flowers around the perimeter, a patio lit up with small lights and a few candles. The reds and oranges of the sunset reflecting on the surface of the river made the atmosphere even more suggestive. 

He spots Bohn's head right away, next to him Duen's which is bobbing excitedly as he speaks to a third person, probably one of their friends. He guesses it must be Ram given how tense Bohn looks: he clearly remember the two of them literally fighting behind the school when Ram was trying to protect his best friend from the person he thought undeserving of Duen's affection. It's almost funny how after all those years his cousin's boyfriend still seems unable to get along with the _Cool boy_ , as Bohn's own bestfriend King likes to call him.

He quickens his pace and reaches their table in a matter of seconds, already slightly late because of a few minutes he wasted earlier when he took one wrong turn as soon as he got off at the station.

"Oi, P'Thara! You're here!"

Duen stops midsentence to greet him, his happy smile contagious. He was definitely his favorite among the cousins, and for that reason the one he was closer to. It had been nice watching him grow, particularly during his uni years when he finally got out of his shell and his home, ready to explore the world outside of school assignments and family commitments. His boyfriend had been a huge influence, he was sure of that. The same boyfriend who respectfully wai-ed at him while keeping an eye on his left where the other guy was sitting.

"Phi, I hope you don't mind if I asked my friend to eat with us. I haven't seen either of you in forever and I didn't want to say no to one and miss the opportunity to catch up. The two of you are always so busy!"

"Sure, no problem," he says turning around to greet Ram only to meet a familiar pair of dark eyes that had hunted him for weeks and he had finally gotten over. 

"P'Thara, this is P'Frong."

The guy from that night had a name and it was Frong. He looked surprised as well as he stood up to wai, a cross earring hanging on his left, toned biceps standing out under his white t-shirt, the ripped jeans and the black leather jacket he spots on the back of his chair giving him a bad boy aura that he can't help but like. Out of his suit and in this new outfit he looks younger and even more handsome, something he didn't notice when he briefely spotted him at his usual take-out place a few weeks before. He had almost approached him then but decided against it as soon as he had realized that no one ever introduced them. Going to his table to tell him he remembered him from a random event that had happened a long time ago sounded as creepy as knowing that he had thought of him way too many times even though they just looked at each other once for just a couple of seconds. His outfit hadn't been particularily flattering either: crumpled clothes after a day of work and the protective gear probably he wore definitely made him look a bit silly. He'd rather leave no first impression than be remembered in such a messy state. Besides, the guy looks straighter than a ruler and he really doesn't need to make a fool of himself. 

"Actually we kinda met before," Frong says as they both sit down, surprising him for the second time over the span of a few seconds. "But I doubt you noticed me. Not long ago I went with a friend to one of her work dinners to celebrate an award winning doctor. P'Thara was there."

"Wow, small world, huh?" Bohn exclaims, the hostility not so veiled in his voice. "Didn't know you had another doctor boyfriend."

"I don't," Frong replies leaning back on his chair as he lets out a small laugh, unfazed by Bohn's behavior. "As I said she's just a friend. And yes, I used to have a very small crush on Duen when he was a freshman but it's been forever and we all moved on. I don't like him anymore so stop being hostile. You're uselessly tiring yourself and us out."

"I can never trust you. If it bothers you that much stop hanging out with Duen."

"I'll just hang out with him when you're busy and can't be his guard dog. How about that?"

"Guys, can we please have dinner in peace?" Duen interrupts them and talks looking straight at Bohn. "We're here to have a good time, not to fight over stuff that never happened. Sorry P'Thara," he said towards him. "They've been doing this since they were both first years, even before I entered the picture. They're mortal enemies and they like using me as an excuse for their fights."

Despite Bohn and Frong's continuous bickering, dinner was quite pleasant. Duen updated him on his specialization, Bohn complained about the fact he was always too busy to hang out with him, saying they barely saw each other even though they lived together and it was like cohabitating with a ghost. Theirs were cute spats that didn't last more than a few minutes, Duen cuddling him to ease his frustrations, promising it was temporary, and Bohn giving in right away and enjoying the attentions. He knows well how time consuming their profession is, how much is sacrificed and how hard it can be sometimes for those next to them. But he isn't worried about Bohn: the guy had stuck around for years and he is clearly not a quitter since they had been through so much and were still going strong. His cousin was lucky to have found a partner who loved him and was willing to go through fire to make their relationship work. 

He hopes that someday he will find someone like that. 

He hopes that someday he will also be someone like that for his loved one.

Frong seemed slightly more quiet than the other two, but still comfortable to interact with. He wasn't shy and had strong opinions about pretty much everything they had discussed. He was clearly smart and educated, and that lead him to wonder how such a man would end up in his field: was it a choice? Did something happen that made him do that? Was is just for fun? The options were many and he kept growing curious about him.

During dinner it was not only once or twice that he found himself raptured by him as he excitedly talked about old times, days studying together, shopping trips at the mall and ice-cream stops with Deun's sister. His sparkling eyes exuding happiness about the good old times, the way his clothes fit to his body as he excitedly gestured during his tales reminding him of beautiful pieces of art you see in museums like breath-taking statues of greek gods: classic, perfect, beautiful. Thara would have spent hours admiring him as long as he didn't get caught in the act. 

It's almost midnight when he had looked at the time and realized they had been chatting for the whole night. With the excuse of going to the restroom he picks up the tab and pays for their dinner, glad he can take care of his nongs and sorry it took him a long time to be able to see them again.

"It was lovely but it's time for me to go," he says collecting his phone and his jacket when he comes back to the table. "Dinner's on me, I already took care of it."

The nongs bows in synch in a chorus of thank you's. He promises himself he will try to be a better phi and make time for them more often.

"Are you sure you have to go, Phi? We can have a drink somewhere," Bohn suggests looking briefly at Duen to see if he agrees.

"I haven't seen Cupcake since yesterday," he says as he wears his jacket. "Today I came straight from work so I really have to go home."

"Your girlfriend?" Frong asks looking up at him from his seat, a curious expression on his face. Thara doesn't want to read too much into it, but he heard Bohn wonder if Frong had gotten a new boyfriend earlier. He is not sure if he was just teasing him or if there is a possibility that he might be gay, or at least bisexual.

"His pet," Bohn clarifies.

"Oh, cat? Dog?"

Bohn's snigger doesn't go unnoticed and Thara smiles with him. He knows they all think his choice of pet is a weird one, but he never felt the need to conform to others or their preferences. He never did what he did to rebel: sometimes he is just interested in less popular stuff. He taps on his phone a few times until he finds the biggest and most precious folder of his gallery, then gets closer to Frong, bending down next to his face to shows him the screen and waits for the surprised look on his face as he realizes that the pet is a lizard.

"Cute, right?" he asks. Frong turns to him, the small distance separating them leaving him unfazed. Instead he has a smile on his lips and Thara is left speechless.

"She's cute, yeah."

He backs up, phone away in his pocket. The guy gets paid to flirt, it probably comes natural to him so he shouldn't think too much of the way Frong makes him feel. It must be all fake. He is about to say his goodbye, put a smile on his face and tell him it was a pleasure meeting him since most likely the will never see each other again when the screech of the chair being pulled stops him. 

"I'm going too. The metro's gonna stop running soon, so I gotta catch the last train."

"Oh, you guys live in the same direction," Duen says and Thara doesn't like the way his mouth slightly twitches and his eyes lit up. A normal acquintance wouldn't have noticed it, but he has known his cousin for a long time and enough to catch him red-handed when he is up to no good. 

"Yeah, you can go together," Bohn's smirk next to him is the confirmation he needs. He sighs as he watches Frong wear his leather jacket, a deadly combination with the rest of his outfit and the messy hair, let alone the killer smile adorning his lips as he tells Duen to say hi to his sister, hoping next time he can see her too. The light of the street lamps reflects on his earring and almost blinds him as he turns his way, a nod to signal that he is ready to leave.

Thara leads the way, not happy about the fact that he is glad he doesn't have to say goodbye yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always more than welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How did you find out?"
> 
> "My coworker," he started looking sideways for a moment before resting his eyes back on him. "It wasn't intentional but she heard your conversation with Doctor Nanthiyakun about your... services."

**FRONG**

  
They sit in the empty car, the lack of people due to the late hour. Air conditioning blasting, Frong wraps himself tighter in his jacket and steals a glance at the doctor sitting next to him as he checks his e-mails. The short walk to the BTS station had been quiet but not in an uncomfortable way and as if they had perfectly timed it, they got there just in time for the train to arrive. 

If before he had doubts that Thara might know the truth about him, now he was almost sure. During dinner they had mentioned school and they had mentioned jobs, but the doctor had clearly avoided asking him anything about his major and his current occupation. Whenever Bohn brought up the night they met and his date, Thara would actively change the subject or shift the attention to something else, and that was not the normal behavior of someone you had just met. 

What really bothered him was how did he come to know his secret? His clients were carefully picked and warned, the privacy of their deals crucial for both parties. He didn't see his date of that night even speak to Thara, so it seemed unlikely that she was the one who spilled the beans. 

"How did you find out?"

The sudden question surprised Thara who looked at him in confusion, the hand holding the phone slowly landing on his leg. "What?"

"About me," he replied turning his whole body in his direction and holding his gaze. If he had been discovered he wasn't gonna look weak or threatenable. " _"Oh, you went to school with Bohn and Duen, what did you study? Medicine? Engineering? What 's your job now? What's your relationship with your date at that dinner?"_ You were interested in other stuff we talked about but you asked none of these questions and it's weird," he continued. Those questions were part of small talk, and Frong had a set of perfectly rehearsed answers he fed to anyone interested in his private life. "I mean, it's weird if you hate me or have no interest whatsoever in me, and it doesn't look that way."

"I'm sorry," Thara said with a small smile on his lips, and Frong wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. "Bohn mentioned you have a small e-commerce business when you were in the restroom and I figured it's a secret. My coworker," he started looking sideways for a moment before resting his eyes back on him. "It wasn't intentional but she heard your conversation with Doctor Nanthiyakun about your... services."

Frong sighed. This was exactly why he usually talked business in person and in private, but that woman had insisted playing the surgeon card who has not much time, and in the end he had given in since it was just a dinner: easy money, free food. 

"We kept it to ourselves," Thara continued. "Nobody else knows. I heard she introduced you as a friend, so as far as I'm concerned you're her friend. I'm not really interested in others' gossips and I'm definitely not gonna start one."

"Thanks," he says sincerily, impressed by how laidback he seems to be about the whole thing. He expected a bit of judgement, maybe mockery. Instead he got nothing but respect for the job and discretion. It was obvious though that if he had used his rehearsed answers, he would have been caught in his lie and it would have been quite embarassing.

"Sure," Thara says with a smile on his face before lifting his gaze to the door to check the stations left to his. Frong turns up his head too, his stop being the next. They keep quiet for a few moments, Thara looking around the car and Frong looking at him. He is studying his face, the manly features, the small eyes that have been full of joy for the whole night, just like his lips always curved up as he spoke to Duen and Bohn, the pride and happiness evident on his face while he listened to them, especially when his cousin was the one talking. Frong had known him for years but never heard about his being so close to any of his relatives. It was a small world and Frong should have been scared of being found out by those friends he had kept out of his real life. 

Against every rule of his, against the sane part of his brain that tells him he should draw a clear line and stay away from this person, he can't help but being interested in him, in the weird life of a rich, successful doctor who spends his free time cleaning beaches and skating to work when he isn't taking an insane amount of pictures of his lizard. He bets he talks to Cupcake, too. 

"Are you and Bohn always like that?"

Thara's voice breaking the silence is unexpected, but he laughs as he thinks about his answer: "We've been sworn enemies since freshmen year. I briefly stole the spotlight from him when we entered college, proceeded to catch the attention of a few of the girls that used to swoon over him and he didn't like it. It got worse when we met Duen because I had a crush on him and would take any chance I got to hang out with him. Bohn saw through me right away but Duen never noticed it. He was actually surprised when he found out some time later."

"He used to be really dense," Thara nods in agreement. 

"Right? It was very short-lived though: they got together and I moved on quite fast. Instead of relaxing Bohn got more territorial, you know how he is. Even when I was dating other people he thought I was faking it to make him let his guard down and try to snatch Duen when he least expected it. I'm sure he got over that now, but we still don't get along and he doesn't really like it when I hang out with your cousin."

"And you look like you're having a good time when you make him mad."

"Yeah, I do. He always get so worked up over the smalled interactions I have with him! It's entertaining and in a way it reminds me of our old days," he says while reminiscing of a time when everything was easier and he had no worries except the next test or helping his mom and P'First at the flower shop. It all changed so fast at the end of his second year that sometimes he wonders if living a normal life like everybody else really happened or it was just a dream, an illusion.

"So are you dating someone now?" Thara asks him.

"No, in my line of work it can be kind of tricky. Not impossibile, but definitely difficult," he tells him. "What about you?" 

The question rolls out of his tongue before che can close his mouth. He wonders if Thara has a girlfriend hidden somewhere since he remembers clearly that he was alone to his own dinner. Thara shifts his gaze to the row of seats on the opposite side of the car

"No, I'm too busy for that." The expressionon his face one of disbelief, as if the mere thought of being in a relationship is unthinkable. 

"You're never too busy for that. Don't you doctors hook up all the time at those conferences you always go to? I heard stories," he winks at him and smirks. "You seem a decent person and you're not exactly ugly. Women must like you a lot."

"No thanks: I dated a collegue once and it was mess. I'd rather pass on the drama: it's the same people at every conference, we're bound to see each other again or, and that's even worse, we might end up working together for projects and researches. Useless tension, believe me."

"Excuses, excuses," he laughs dropping it before the doctor gets mad at him for prying into his personal life. Even if he seems very friendly and outgoing, he also looks like someone who minds his own business. Maybe he is one of those guys who'd rather be alone.

"By the way, I'm surprised you remember me," Thara adds as he changes the topic of their conversation. "I met so many people that night but I have a good memory and I'm sure nobody introduced us. We didn't cross paths not even once."

"You were the star: a giant poster with your picture was outside the dinner room. And if that wasn't enough you held a twenty-five minute long speech. How could I not remember when we were all there for you."

"You counted the minutes? Was I that boring?"

"I was hungry and you were delaying my meal."

They share a laugh as the lady on the speaker reminds him they will reach his destination in one minute. He notices a pen inside the pocket of Thara's shirt and takes it out. It is a metal ballpen, slim and smooth to the touch. It looks expensive and he wonders if Thara really uses it in his everyday life to write prescriptions or take notes about his patients as he does his rounds. His father gave him a similar one when he graduated high school and he still keps it safe in a drawer, sure to use it only on important occasions. Was it silly of him to treasure a mere pen like that? He definitely wouldn't risk ruining it to vandalize some stranger's skin.

"If you need a date for one your doctor events gimme a call: I know a few nice girls who'd treat you well," he says as he writes his phone number on the back of Thara's hand. He is quite sure he is doing something crazy: you don't go around leaving your real number to random people. But his hands have moved faster than his brain, and after a second the metro stops and he is out on the platform. When he turns around, Thara is still in his seat, hand hanging mid-air, most likely shocked that a hooker has just given him his number. 

Frong doesn't know it yet, but this is the moment he fucks up for the very first time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sexual intercourse is extra," he adds as carefully as he can. 
> 
> Thara's laugh dies right there and he looks at him straight in the eyes.

**FRONG**

  
From his usual table he observes Thara as he places the order to take home at counter. When he woke up that morning he never expected to find a message from the doctor, since he never reached out to him in the few weeks following that night out with Duen and Bohn. The text was simple, asking to meet him personally after work because he had a request. He had suggested to meet at the restaurant Kao worked at, knowing well that in the middle of the week and there wouldn't be too many customers.

This time the doctor had arrived on his bike and probably from home because he was wearing a light brown shirt, the sleeves rolled up, over a white t-shirt and a pair of more casual jeans. His hair down and slightly messy, Frong could rightly guess he forgot to fix it before leaving his apartment. He is amazed by the fact that he seems to see a different side of Thara every time they meet: today he looks younger and carefree, still kind of sexy in his casual outfit. He watches him walk back with two glasses of what seems iced-tea, his eyes following Thara's hand as he places one in front of him.

"I didn't order this," he says sounding more bitchy that he intends. His guest doesn't seem to be affected by his tone though, as he sits down opposite of him and takes a sip from his drink.

"I know, it's on me. I made you come here at this hour and with no notice. You said no to dinner but the least I can do is offer you something to drink, no alcohol since you're driving," he points to the car key next to Frong's wrist.

"You said you have a request: is it for your friend? The cute one you were with at the bar?" he asks vaguely remembering the girl he saw him talk to. 

"Actually, I don't know if it's something you do or not," Thara says clearing his voice and shifting on his seat, clearly uncomfortable with his own demand. "It's not for a woman. It's for me: I need a date for a wedding."

"Of course," he sniggers. He realizes he has come out more hostile than he wanted, and he doesn't even know why. It is not like he expected Thara to call him as soon as he got off that train. Actually he never had a reson to expect him to call. He had given him his number for only one reason and that was to give an opportunity of income to a couple of girls he knew in the field. If he was going to be honest, for the whole time he had been sure Dr. Thara would have never taken up on his offer. Is that the reason why he feels slightly upset? Is he disappointed that he is just like every man out there, looking for an easy girl to use, pay and discard? He shakes his head, trying to hide his embarassment for being disappointed in someone he merely knows and who has nothing to do with him. It all worked out the way he planned: one of his friends was going to get some cash.

"I can show you a couple of girls I know and you can choose the one you like better," he says taking out his phone to show him the profiles of Gina, Love and Kaew.

"No, I'm not looking for a girl. I'm asking if I can book you to be my date."

He stops scrolling and takes a moment before looking up. Suddenly things are taking a very unexpected turn because not for one second since their eyes met had he thought Thara would be interested in men: it is the first time ever that his gaydar fails him and he can't believe it happened at such a crucial time and with a person that has piqued his interest for reasons he doesn't care to analyze. But he likes the unexpected and he definitely wants to see where this is gonna take him.

"I can do that."

"Is it really not a problem?"

"It wouldn't be a problem if I was straight. It's not a problem since I'm bi," he says, laying out all his cards in case Thara is interested in his company _after_ the cerimony. If the information affects him in any way, he doesn't let it show.

"Even if our lives are kinda tangled? We have friends in common - and family in my case. Do you have rules for that or is it ok?"

"It's actually the first time it happens, but since it's you it won't be a problem." Elbows on the table, he gets closer as if he is about to share a secret: "I might not know you well but the way you've handled this whole thing with my job was unexpected. You're quite cool and I trust you not to let this secret out to Bohn and Duen."

He watches Thara as he leans back on his chair and sighs in relief: "Great, I was actually afraid you'd say no. I'd rather go alone than with someone I don't know at all."

"Let me warn you though: a wedding takes up a lot of time so it's gonna be expensive."

"The price is not a problem but the wedding is a couple of weeks from now. I don't know how much in advance I'm supposed to book you," the doctor says as he gives him the exact date of the event, voice low even though there's no one in the tables next to theirs. Frong checks his schedule and informs him he is free on that day.

"These are my rates," he adds rotating the phone and showing him the numbers on the screen. "I start with fifteen thousand baht up to two hours of my time, the price doubles for four hours. Half day is usually eighty thousand, and since weddings more or less take up that amount of time I'll say it falls into this category," he explains as Thara nods in understandment. "The fare starts the moment we are supposed to meet. But if we have to travel outside Bangkok, travel time is included: this means that if have to go six hours away from here, you're gonna pay for those six hours too no matter if we are together or not. For circumstances like that there's also a daily rate," he points at the one hundred and twenty thousand baht written on his phone and waits for Thara to say something.

"The wedding is in Bangkok. Half day should be enough."

"Ok. You'll be paying in advance," he continues to explain. "If I feel uncomfortable for any reason, I can leave and I'll reimbourse you. If you feel uncomfortable with me you can drop me too, but you don't get your money back unless I actually did something that bothered you."

"Like?"

"I don't know, punch you out of the blue?" he says. "It's never happened so far but I guess we'll know if it does."

"Alright," Thara laughs with him. "As long as you don't mistake me for a punching bag I think we'll be fine."

"Sexual intercourse is extra," he adds as carefully as he can. "Same rate as two hours." 

Thara's laugh dies right there and he looks at him straight in the eyes. Frong has to fight the urge to look away, the intensity of his gaze sparkling a weird feeling in his chest. 

"I'm just giving you all the information you need. I'm not implying anything."

"Of course," Thara says after a moment, his trademark smile back on his face. "Ok, so eighty thousand, no extra. We have a deal?"

"We do," Frong replies as he writes down the doctor's name on the empty slot. "You'll have to let me know more about the details: dress code, the address of the place regardless if we'll go there together or not. It's a matter of security: somebody has to know where I am in case something happens. But you can rest assured that your privacy is safe, unless somebody is eavesdropping on this conversation."

"Sure, I can text you everything."

"It's your first time, right? If you have any question you can ask me anytime. Let's say it's a special treatment because your a friend's family." 

"I'm sure Duen would be grateful if he knew," he jokes. 

Frong takes a sip of his tea, drops of condensation running ober the skin of his hand and to his wrist. He mutters a curse when he realizes his friend forgot to leave napkins at their table. An handkerchief appear out of thing air in font of him and he nods at Thara to thank him before using it to wipe the trickle of water that threatens to run all the way up his arm.

"You probably have plenty of friends. Why ask me?"

He is quite curious because Thara looks popular enough and he is actually a funny guy, or at least he found him entertaining when they had dinner with Duen. He is not socially awkward, he even seems to familiar with his cousin's circle of friends so there seems to be no reason why he would have to pay someone for an even as unimportant as a wedding.

"My ex is gonna be there," is the answer to his question."With his wife. And before you ask, he pretty much knows all my friends so I can't use anyone as a fake date. Not the romantic kind anyway."

"Oh."

"Yeah. It's not that I haven't moved on because I have," Thara continues, as he gently rubs his long fingers around his cold glass, a motion that briefly distracts him.

"We've been over for a long time. But he is all accomplished and with a baby on the way, while I'm pathetically single and with no one to take to a stupid wedding."

He studies him for a couple of seconds and hold his gaze as Thara gives him his smile, the one he seems to use with everyone, the kind that fools you into thinking that he is always sure of himself, that he is fine even when he is not. Like now: straight back, unwavering eyes but his fingers nervously playing with his glass as he laid in front of him one of weaknesses- feeling pathethic and unaccomplished. 

"You're the youngest doctor under thirty in Thailand who got a bunch of prizes and recognitions not only from Thai associations but from overseas too," he states remembering bits and pieces of conversations he had to listen to when he worked for his collegue.

"How do you know?" Thara asks him, the surprise evident in his voice and on his face.

"I was told at your dinner. You are successful, smart and quite hot," he winks at him. "Definitely not pathetic. You just had different priorities. And what you are missing, we can fix it. l'll make sure everyone will say you caught the most handsome man in town, and we'll show your ex how happy and in love we are. If thats what you want him to see."

"Yeah, except I'm not that good at pretending."

"Leave it to me then. You do nothing but be yourself, I'll take care of the rest," he reassures him with a comforting smile. "It's what you are paying me for."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth was that he liked him.

**THARA**

  
He closes the door behind him and rests his back against it for a few seconds. Frong had said yes: he had just got himself a date. One he was paying for.

When he had received the invitation he almost RSVPed right away, glad he would have a chance to spend some time with old friends in such a joyful occasion. But only a couple of days later he had gotten word that Arm would be present too, pregnant wife in tow. At first he hadn't cared, glad his ex boyfriend had gotten himself the family he always wanted. Until Boom and Am had pointed out the fact there would be comparisons because many of the guests knew about them: they were together for years so it was expected. And he still didn't care because he was happy with his life the way was. Of course maybe he was lacking in a couple of departments but that didn't make him a loser. People though were going to talk, maybe pity him for showing up alone, wondering if he was looking for another chance. The most stupid questions started to pop up in his head and the riduculousness of the whole deal had lead him to believe he needed to avoid silly gossips involving him. If everyone had proof he had moved on, would it be ok?

Arm knew his friends and there was no way he was going to pretend he was dating one of them: it would have been way to awkward and difficult to pull off.   
But he didn't know Frong. And Thara still had his number, having taken a picture of his hand that night before the ink was wiped away by sweat ot water. 

Frong was a professional. 

Frong was somebody new.

Frong was somebody he felt comfortable with. 

Frong was into men so acting as another man's date was likely to be okay.

Frong was the perfect boyfriend. Or fake one.

They had talked a bit about how they would act, which level of intimacy was comfortable for him. Holding hands? Okay. Hugs? Okay. Hands on shoulder? Okay. Kisses on the cheek? Thara had freezed on the spot and was sure Frong was still laughing because of his reaction, thinking he was being shy or a prude.

The truth was that he liked him. He had felt attracted to Frong since the first time he had seen him. He had dismissed the excitement he felt pooling at his core when he thought he was there as his coworker's boyfriend. He had given up entirely on it when he had found out the real reason he was there that night. But fate had been playing with him when he had found himself facing him again. And if that wasn't enough, the guy who wasn't as straight as he thought he was, kept looking at him with interest. Although he wasn't sure if he found him funny, quirky or a case study.

Thara wanted to spend time with him. He wanted to kiss him and find out what he tasted like. He wanted him. All of him.

When Frong had told him about the price of the _extra_ , he had actually considered it for a moment. Would it be different from having sex with someone the normal way? Frong looked okay with it, nobody was forcing him. The whole deal with him was about rules and consent: on the way home he had received a pdf file that contained a detailed explaination of everything they had talked about earlier plus additional info: it was like reading a well-written business deal. The guy was through and trustworthy, and Thara found his rigor unexpected though endering.

But he was a friend of his cousin and getting involved with him like that would have been too much, and that was why he had decided to keep things simple: they would talk, flirt, make everyone believe he was not there as a home-wrecker wannabe. Frong would be paid for an easy job and he would be able to enjoy the day with no pressure from the outside. And at the end of the night they would shake hands and go their separate ways. As easy as that.

He breathes in and takes his shoes off before leaving the food on the table and going straight to Cupcake's room. He spots her right away as she stands still in the middle of the terrarium, her big eyes following him as he gets closer. He carefully opens the top and waits for her to get on his hand, a sweet lick of his fingers to welcome him home before settling herself in his palm. He pulls his phone out with his free hand and takes a couple of pictures, his lovely pet posing like the diva that she is. He is reminded of Frong's reaction when he was shown her picture, the genuine smile on his face as he complimented her beauty.

"I can definitely meet someone else who will also like you," he sighs trying hard not to make her understand how discouraged he actually feels. He waited such a long time to finally come across an interesting person, but he guesses that waiting a bit more won't be too much of a change. "Frong is not the only one who thinks you're cute, right? Your daddy will find someone who can loves us both."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cupcake made her first appearance! She is the cutest, I love her almost as much as Thara does.
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment, even if it's just to complain about me!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We did splendid. But he's sitting right there so let's be careful."
> 
> "Is that why you're holding my hand?" he asks him looking down and not noticing that Frong's face is moving in his direction and getting into his personal space.
> 
> "Yes," he whispers in his ear, so close that the scent of his skin is all that Thara can breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all having a great weekend! Thank you for reading, leaving kudos and comments!

**THARA**

Thara would be lying if he said that his heart didn't skip a beat when Frong appeared in front of him wearing very simple dark grey pants, loose and falling sinuously on his legs, a white shirt two sizes too big but that looked perfect on him, the bowtie untied, its ends hanging asymmetrically. A couple of buttons had been left undone, revealing his collarbones and part of his toned chest, skin slightly tan in contrast with the silver necklace dangling from his neck. He looked like one of those models ready for a photoshoot for a fashion magazine, and he wasn't the only one who appreciated his style, given the number of heads that has been turning his way since they had arrived at the wedding venue. Frong hadn't been kidding when he said he was going to make every single person at that wedding believe he had scored the most handsome man.

The bride and the groom, classmates from university, had opted for a private traditional cerimony for their close relatives and a western celebration at the poolside of an high-class hotel for all their friends. The vows exchange had been heartfelt, the place decorated in whites and pastel greens, flowers and drapes moving with the light breeze gracing them on the roopftop and giving everyone a break from the tropical heat of the city.

They had mingled with the guests, said hi to a few old friends he hadn't kept in touch with. His date was in a good mood, not annoyingly chatty but charming everyone nonetheless. Most of them had been surprised to see him with a partner but they had welcomed Frong with warmth and treated him like one of them, unaware of the scam happening right under their noses. 

He had spotted his ex-boyfriend right away but it was only when they had finally sat down before dinner that Arm had appeared at the table next to theirs. He had stood up to greet him, Frong moving with him. 

He doesn't look a day older than the last time he saw him, still handsome as he remembers. And clearly still married, the wedding band on his finger reflecting the white light of the lamps circling the dining area. He isn't sure what he is supposed to feel after meeting his most important ex for the first time in years, but he is relieved that there are no lingering feelings. In a way he is almost glad to see him, Frong's presence at his side giving him the confidence he needs to face the situation with his head held high. 

Even if he is now positive that the majority of his acquaintances expects no drama anymore, he can feel a few eyes on them as they exchange pleasantries. Frong gives a wai to him and a very pregnant Mild, then shakes Arm's hand when he offers. He stays next to him, a smile on his lips and the palm of his hand flat on Thara's lower back. Respectful but intimate while he nods here and there as they converse, a small laugh at the right moment, a joke that makes the mood even more friendly. He turns to look at him a couple of times as he talks to Arm, fascinated by his confidence and the way he easily holds a conversation with people he knows nothing about and has literally met just a few minutes before. Being an extrovert himself, Thara has always been quite friendly to people he just met too. But Frong's social skills are top-notch, he has to recognize that.

No matter how pleasant their reunion is, he feels relieved when they separate, the couple going back to their table while he sits back down. Frong follows him, moving the chair closer and squeezing his hand that is resting on the table. He looks at him slightly confused and a bit surprised by the touch now that the coast is clear and they don't have to be too obvious. 

"Are you ok?"

The question surprises him but not as much as the sincere concern on his date's face. He gives him a smile and nods: "I think we did well, right?"

"We did splendid," Frong reassures him, the tone of his voice low so the rest of the guests sitting at the table won't hear him. "But he's sitting right there so let's be careful."

"Is that why you're holding my hand?" he asks him looking down and not noticing that Frong's face is moving in his direction and getting into his personal space.

"Yes," he whispers in his ear, so close that the scent of his skin is all that Thara can breathe. He feels the grip on his hand tighten, their fingers now intervined on the cotton of the tablecloth. "Because in the next few minutes him or his wife are probably gonna look this way at least a couple of times to check on us. And we want them to know two things."

Thara stays silent, curious about what he is going to say next because every word coming out of his mouth seems to catch him off guard. And he likes the unknown Frong brings into his life. 

"One: we're not interested in them."

"And?"

"And two," Frong says moving back a little and staring into his eyes, literally making his brain stop working. "Seeing them didn't affect us at all because we're very much in love, P'Doctor."

It takes a moment for his thoughts to become coherent again and to give him the okay to follow through with the play. 

"You know, I think that if you keep looking at me like that I might start to believe we really are," he says softly fixing Frong's hair and passing his free hand on the side of his head, fingers sliding through his dark locks. He thinks he sees Frong taking a deeper breath but blames it on a trick of his mind. He hopes the show will be a good one, not for Arm but for himself because when they touch a tingle of excitement spreads through his whole body and every time Frong stares straight into his eyes he hears his heartbeats getting louder. And if he can't be Frong's real boyfriend he doesn't mind being the receipient of his loving attentions. 

Even if it is just for one day. Even if it is all fake.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bottom line was that he exchanged company and sexual favours for money, and that made him a whore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's one more chapter because your appreciation for the story has been inspiring me even more!

**FRONG**

  
There were many opinions flowing around when it came to being an escort but they could easily be divided into two big categories: those who thought of them as high-class hookers living the best life, getting paid to look good and do nothing but sleep with beautiful women -and men; and those who found them disgusting prostitutes with no morals nor self-value, losers unable to go anywhere in life. He never cared to discuss with anyone about that, especially since his secret life was known to one person only, Kao who was in charge of making sure he was safe every time he had work. The bottom line was that he exchanged company and sexual favours for money, and that made him a whore. One who didn't have to work on the streets, one who wasn't anybody's slave. One who had the priviledge to dine in starred restaurants and sleep between high thread count sheets. But he was still a whore and even if he never found the choice he had made to be embarassing, after a job he would feel like crap most of the times because regardless of the amount of money or of the type of clients he was still being used and thrown away, time after time. 

At beginning it hurt: feeling like trash, having no connection with the people he was sleeping with. Until he was able to distance himself from what were merely tasks. Being into the business meant he had to be unaffected by the physical and the emotional closeness, because sometimes over dinners they would open up to him about their problems, talking to a stranger being easier than seeking comfort from a close one who might judge them. So instead of being swallowed by his and their emotions, he had learned how to distance himself and be unswayed by anything related to his job. And he had become pretty good at it.

Until Thara. 

He constantly dealt with good-looking people, the majority of them even richer and more successful than him. Being with the doctor was fun, that day confirming how well they got along. They secretely mocked a few guests for their fashion outfits gone wrong, laughed when one of the ladies who had almost tripped into the pool, the fall avoided only thanks to another guest's quick reflexes, had a small breakdown because her wine hadn't been saved too -not an issue since she had clearly had one too many glasses already. His friends too seemed alright, he fit right in and nobody had made him feel awkward or left out. Even meeting the ex-boyfriend had been a piece of cake. 

In the beginning, despite Thara's denials, he had really thought the young doctor to be still into him, stuck onto a past that clearly wasn't coming back since the guy had started a family. But he had observed him as he looked completely fine, even congratulating the wife and asking about the progress of her pregnancy, praising her doctor in charge who turned out to be a very skilled senior of his. 

Today's job was different and he was having a blast playing his role, this character allowing him to be more like himself than he had ever been. He would have spent hours just sitting there and listening to him as he calmly talked, his voice deep and steady as he caught up with his friends' lives. Holding hands with him felt natural and he liked getting lost in Thara's eyes when they wanted to look romantic and into their world. 

"Seeing them didn't affect us at all because we're very much in love, P'Doctor," he says, a cocky smile plastered on his face. Too cocky for the words that come out next from his date's mouth, his reaction too slow .

"You know, I think that if you keep looking at me like that I might start to believe we really are."

He hadn't expected those words, nor the soft gesture that follows. He swallows hard and probably forgets to breathe while Thara's hand brushes his hair.

"You're good at this," he manages to say letting out a chocked laugh. Thara moves out of his personal space and leans back in his seat, eyes on him for a moment before telling him they can relax a bit and have a good time for the rest of the night. Frong nods and before he knows it he is lost in a whirlwind of chats, delicious dishes appearing in front of him, glasses of wine being filled when he doesn't pay attention. The people at the table are more entertaining than he expects, used to boring work related events or one on one dinners where he has to spend the whole time doing his best to pleasure his client and make them happy. He particularly likes hearing embarassing stories about Thara, never having pictured him for one who would get wasted and sleep on the lawn in front of his dorm because he couldn't remember how to open the door. He swears he stopped drinking so heavily six months into his freshmen year, his eyes squinting as he holds his laugh at the memory. Frong thinks he is the cutest when he does that and looks at him lovingly while he chestise his so called friends for revealing stuff they shouldn't.

"So Nong Frong," one of the girls across the table starts as she takes a bite of the wedding cake. "How did you meet? Thara has kept you as a secret and we don't know anything about you."

They had agreed on a madeup story to feed anyone who asked and he is about to tell their tale when Thara himself interrupts him before he can utter a sound.

"I saw him at a work gathering, he came with a friend of his who is a collegue of mine." 

Frong turns his head at the speed of light, the story not the one they had agreed on. He wonders why Thara isn't following the script they have worked on but can't do anything except listen to him as he continues and hope this is not where they mess up.

"Of course he was the most handsome in the room, it was hard not to notice him."

The girls giggles, encouraging him to keep going and Frong is surprised he is chosing to reveal a half truth of their first meeting.

"But we didn't even talk that night. Coincidentally we saw each other again a few weeks later because it turns out he is friends with one of my relatives. We had dinner, talked and then I asked him out."

"Actually," Frong intereves to spice things up instead of using such a boring version of their story. "I gave him my number at the end of the night and he didn't call for weeks! It took him so long to contact me that I had almost forgotten him!"

His outraged tone makes the table laugh, Thara joining them as he mocks an apology with a wai. "I was slightly intimidated." 

"He gave you his number, man. It was definitely a move," says the guy on his left, gaining a high five from him in agrrement.

"So it was pretty much love at first sight for Thara. What about you?"

Frong pauses, partly to make the moment more dramatic and to have some time to gather his thoughts. He could tell anything at this point, truth and lies already meshed together into a messy web. 

"Handsome guys? I got plenty of them," he says stirring up a loud reaction from his fellow diners. "But handsome, incredibily nice and extremely smart? I'm gonna be honest and say I didn't expect him to even notice me."

The chorus of boos intesifies, guys and girls alike incredulous. He goes back to that night, to the neverending flow of praises for Thara he had to listen to as he ate, as he drank, as he shook hands and pretend to be interested in what was going on around him. He remembers how this brilliant doctor looked like someone who lived in a world far away from his, one where he could barely understand the words used to communicate. And he remembers the fire in Thara's eyes as he they looked at each other for the first time at the end of the night.

"All of you know way better than me that he's some sort of god of medicine, or at least that's how everyone made him seem because as far as I know he might be a quack," he explains getting a few nods and laughs in return. "He was totally unapproachable. But the second time I saw him, even though he was still like that, he also seemed like an entirely different person: easy to talk to, a bit awkward. And very, very cute."

He realizes Thara is watching him and gives him a small smile. "But since he didn't make a move, I decided it was on me. I didn't even know if you were into guys. I risked it all."

"And I'll be forever grateful for that," Thara says clinking their glasses.

"You guys are adorable," one of the girls says.

"That's how we roll," he winks at her, the show over for the moment, before gulping down the rest of his wine, set on ignoring the warmth he feels at her statement. It's definitely the alcohol.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frong rolls his eyes and starts swaying to the beats of Raye's Please Don't Touch, gaze fixed on Thara's static stance, a contrast to the lively crowd dancing behind him. "You are not moving though. Now you're the weird one."
> 
> He hears him mutter something but can't make out the words, the music too loud. Not that it matters since almost instantly he witnesses the most awkward and the same time cutest scene he has ever seen as Thara, trying to be as nonchalant as he can, moves his body in a hopeless attempt to follow the rhythm.

**FRONG**

  
He raises his gaze when he hear a familiar tune: dinner was over, half of the people at their table were scattered between the bar near the pool and the dance floor. For the past ten minutes Thara has been listening to the guy next to him as he talks about his business, his dad's business actually: a boring job at a car dealership. Frong tuned him out after a couple of minutes, but the doctor was too polite to even let him notice he wasn't interested at all in what he was saying. From his side though, he could see him nervously tapping his fingers on his leg, majority of the hand hidden by the curtain of the white table cloth falling over.

"I'm sorry, phi," he takes advantage of a small pause in their conversation to butt in. "Do you mind if I steal him for a bit?"

He waits long enough to receive a nod from him before taking Thara's hand: "I love this song, let's dance."

"I suck at this."

"I know," he lies because of course he has no idea but those around them might be listening in. His goal is to take a break for a few minutes so they can be themselves away from everyone. "Just one song."

Thara doesn't protest as he gets dragged away towards the dancing area. They walk through the sea of people awkwardly rocking their bodies and stop only when they are on the farthest and less crowded side. 

"I thought you wanted to dance," Thara says as he watches him standing still.

"Not particularly, I just thought we needed a break."

"Oh," is all he says looking back and realizing that is the reason why they are in the most secluded area of the whole floor. "You said you like this song."

"I do."

"But if we just stand here people are gonna start looking at us weird."

Frong rolls his eyes and starts swaying to the beats of Raye's Please Don't Touch, gaze fixed on Thara's static stance, a contrast to the lively crowd dancing behind him. "You are not moving though. Now you're the weird one."

He hears him mutter something but can't make out the words, the music too loud. Not that it matters since almost instantly he witnesses the most awkward and the same time cutest scene he has ever seen as Thara, trying to be as nonchalant as he can, moves his body in a hopeless attempt to follow the rhythm. It is hilarious and he can't help but turn sideways and chuckle because when the perfect doctor said he sucked at dancing he really was telling the truth. He keeps discovering new sides of him, layer after layer of his persona being peeled off every time they are together. He wonders how long it would take to find out everything about him but doubts he will be given the chance to.

"Sorry about changing our script at the last minute," Thara says after leaning in and getting closer to his ear so he can be heard without him shouting. "I thought it'd be better to have one less lie to remember."

"I was surprised but we're cool," he replies. Of course, he would never see these people again but they were part of Thara's life, so he was bound to be asked again about tonight or him, and carrying a bunch of lies might have been an hazard, mixing up fake stories could result in a mess. "It actually turned out well: your version had a more realistic flavor."

"We didn't fall madly in love at first sight but the rest is kinda real."

They exchange a smile and he is about to give him a reply when one of the guests walks close behind him, probably very intoxicated. Thara reacts quickly and he pulls him one step closer while he still confused about what is happening. He turns around and sees a guy swaying as he staggers towards the bar, the content of his glass spilling all around him. Frong realizes he almost got his pristine white shirt splashed with red wine and thanks him. 

From up close though Thara's gaze seems to be a lot more intense than before. He is unaware if it is because of all those cheers with champagne they made earlier, the sparkly atmosphere or the breeze filling his nostrils with Thara's cologne but he can't look away. He remembers moments before his speech weeks ago, as he stood confidently among other great names in his field, handome in his suit, the expression on his face happy and still humble. And he thinks about the night he saw him approach the restaurant: he had caught him when he was still distant and had stopped listening to whatever Duen had been talking about. Steps fast, the same smile, the handsome doctor that had caught his attention weeks before had been even more good-looking in a pair of jeans and a casual shirt. Frong had turned slightly away to not be recognized, unsuspecting that they would be sitting next to each other for the following hours, not expecting to enjoy his presence, the happy face as he greeted his cousin, his relaxed smile, hair glowing of a fire red at sunset and his skin shining bright later under the moonlight as they walked to the metro station.

Something unpredictable had happened every time Dr. Thara was involved: he had been busted, he had spilled the truth on his own and he had even given him his private number, not the one he used for work related matters only -a slip he blamed on the lack of time as he was in a hurry to get off the train. 

Frong prided himself on his smart brains and being quick on the uptake, so he should have seen it coming. All of it.

Except he had been so caught up in his thoughts that it is only when he feels a soft mouth grazing against his for the first time that he realizes what is going on. It lasts one very brief moment: Thara's face moves back, lips hoovering over his, eyes boring into his, silently asking him if they can continue. For a moment he wonders if P'Arm is somewhere near, his presence having fueled Thara to initiate the kiss to prove he was definitely over him, but something tells him that's not what is happening right now. He has no control over his body as he looks down at the doctor's lips while briefly licking his own. He gets caught right away and that is the green light he needs because the distance between them decreases, his movements slow enough to give him time to step back if he wants to.

He doesn't.

He gives zero resistance and lets Thara kiss him. It is sweet at first, lips softly molding against each other, until a strong hand on his hip pulls him forward and there is no space anymore separating their bodies. He gasps, his eyes opening at the same time as Thara's for one moment before he closes them again and deepens the kiss. Frong reacts instinctively, kissing him back with the same passion, pressing himself against the doctor's body which feels unexectadily firm.

Thara doesn't give him space nor time to catch his breath, and later that night, in the quiet of his own apartment, Frong will tell himself that he was not the one holding him in place, trapping him with one hand securely fixed on the nape of Thara's neck. 

A gut feeling tells him he fucked up somewhere, but he decides to ignore it and think about the consequences later. In truth, if he had stopped for a second he would have understood exactly where he went wrong. 

His first mistake: giving him his number. The second: kissing him on that dance floor while he pretended to be his boyfriend.

"Have sex with me tonight." 

Thara says it breathlessly parting their lips after what seems just a blink of an eye but might have been an eternity given how swollen his mouth looks. He doesn't let go of him and Frong can feel the growing erection against his leg. Thara is gorgeous, rich and willing. And Frong really wants to see how he looks like under him. Or on him, either way works.

And that leads to his third mistake: saying yes to his request, making himself believe it is just extra money, because if anyone asked he would deny feeling anything for this specific client.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll hide in my cave and start working on the rated chapter. Thanks for all the love, guys! <333


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fifiteen thousand," is all he says sobering up, suddenly as business like as the champagne flowing in his veins allows him.  
> "I remember," he nods. 

**THARA**

  
He had a clear plan in mind when he hired Frong: go to the wedding, show off a heads-turning kind of handsome but fake boyfriend, and before the clock stroke midnight end their deal with a handshake. Their paths might have crossed again in the future but it wouldn't have been an issue since he meant to keep the "relationship" on a platonic level.

Sure, the guy was not just dropdead gorgeous but also fun, clearly smart and with a sense of humor he liked. In any normal circumstance he would have asked him out, offered him dinner and hoped to have breakfast together the day after. The reality of the situation had been no secret from the very first moment he laid eyes on him and everyone knew that despite his weird, sometimes head-in-the -coulds personality, he was also very clear about the chances of anything working out, be it cancer or a relationship. And dating someone in Frong's line of work was the perfect recipe for a disaster.

The constant flirting made him let his guard down. The alcohol didn't help getting it back up. The way Frong softly bumped shoulders with him when he wanted to make it look they were sharing an inside joke was when his mind started to get messed up. He liked his touches and his attentions, even if none of that was real. Maybe he had been single for too long but he was affected, and that kiss had been the final straw. What he didn't expected when he woke up that morning was that sixteen hours later he would be dancing -weirdly because he was conscious that he sucked at it- surrounded by flashing lights and swaying bodies, his fake boyfriend's body so close he could feel his heat, wishing he could sleep with him. And worst of all, voicing that wish out loud.

"Have sex with me tonight."

Frong's shock is evident on his face for a brief moment as he looks at him and probably wonders if he means it. 

"Fifiteen thousand," is all he says sobering up, suddenly as business like as the champagne flowing in his veins allows him. He sounds cold, colder than the time he explained to him all his rates. Thara gets it because he has to be the same with his patients: make sure they understand the situation they are in and never become emotionally attached. It must be the same for his clients.

"I remember," he nods. 

"If it's a hotel the client is the one taking care of all the expenses," Frong continues to explain the details they had overlooked: his fault because he had made it seem that his decision of not having sex was final. "Any other place, like your home, is ok but I need the address before we go."  
He would have liked to have him in his bed, getting the chance to be able to still smell his presence even after he had left. But going to strangers' houses was probably more stressful and more of a hassle for Frong. And if got in a car right now he might have chickened out. 

"This is a hotel," he says. "I'm sure we can get a room."

"Ok, then."

He vaguely remembers getting their stuff from the table and saying their goodbyes, Frong's hand in his as they hurried away, the charade still on until they were out of anyone's sight. But he remembers very well getting condoms and lube from the store on the corner, Frong waiting for him in the room they had gotten for themselves on the forty-fourth floor, the elevator ride lasting an infinite amount of time, the corridor to the room neverending.

From the moment of the proposal to the moment he approaches the door of their room he has sobered up and there is a knot in his stomach. Thara is no the kind of guy who get's nervous over a one-night stand. But it is the first time he pays for one and he isn't a hundred percent sure of what to expect. Who is gonna be on top? He's paying for this so he should at least choose, right? There was an old movie with a famous american actress playing a hooker who did everything but kiss on the mouth: was it a rule? They never talked about this but they also had already kissed. 

Will they kiss again? Maybe he is an hopeless romantic but he really wants to.

He walks inside and sees Frong standing right in front of the window, a glass of what seems white wine in his hand as he looks at the view. He takes a few tentative steps until he is next to him and among the hundreds of city lights reflected on the glass, he notices a reassuring smile on Frong's lips . Thara feels some of the tension disappear and takes the last sip from the glass handed to him, the same he had been drinking from a few seconds before. 

"At least the view is great," he says, not used anymore to so much silence between them. 

"It is," Frong agrees as he puts one hand on his hip and guides him toward the window, his back suddenly against the cold glass. He gives him the reigns over the situation since he is the professional. Frong's mouth starts working some sort of magic in the crook of his neck, his free hand on the other side of his face, palm cupping his jaw and thumb lightly stroking his cheek. Thara lets out a moan when Frong's leg slips between his, the contact arousing him even more and the hand not holding the glass shooting forward and circling the hooker's back and pushing him towards his body, the pressure of his thigh on his crotch increasing deliciously. His hand slips down inside Frong's pants and past his waistband, the skin of his lower back colder than he expects but as soft as he imagined it to be. Frong's ass cheeks are firm but he wastes no time on them, more interested in going lower and deeper. 

"Is this ok?" he asks as his fingers find the entrance he had been looking for. Frong's head shots up, neck left unattended. 

"Go ahead," he replies, mouth glistening, his cheeks rosier than before and eyes fixed into his. Thara doesn't lower his gaze and watches him as one of his fingers tickles he area around his entrance before slowly making its way inside of his hole. Frong gasps and if possible falls even closer, body completely on him as they both weight against the window. Eyes still on each other, Thara realizes for the first time how much he likes this: watching the pleasure appear on his face as he fingers him. He slowly thrusts deeper, one finger only, lube and condoms still in the bag he had abandoned on the bed when he came in. It's when his second knuckle gets buried into the warmth of his ass that Frong moves again, shoves his erection into his hip and kisses him hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all get ready for the next chapter. That's all I have to say.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I promise this is money well spent," Frong says as he throws on the floor the package and the box with the rest of the condoms, and rolls one on Thara. "This is how you want it, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graphic sex scene ahead. Just warning you ;)

**THARA**

  
They are both naked on the bed, rock-hard cocks leaving trails of precum on their skin as they make out, Frong's lips leaving his every few minutes to give attention to his nipples and his erection only to come back up again, his own taste on Frong's tongue.

He makes a break from the routine he had created, skipping on his chest and diving straight to his cock, his back curved at Thara's side as he takes the whole lenght into his mouth, hand massaging his balls in strokes that go lower, allowing his fingers to reach across his perineum to his hole. One hand on the back of Frong's head, he thrusts lightly into his mouth, restraining himself and putting his best effort not hurt him. If he wasn't completely hard before he definitely is now, the warmth of Frong's mouth spreading through his whole body as he expertly gives him what he would call the best blowjob he ever received. Feeling the pleasure rising in intensity, he grabs Frong's hair and pulls him away, probably surprising the guy but unsure he could trust his voice with two lube coated fingers up his arse and his tongue enveloped around his glans.

"You're fucking good at this, oh god," he pants and looks down at the most gorgeous man he has ever seen as he smiles, a translucent veil of semen around his mouth shining under the artificial lights of their room. Thara looses the grip on his hair as the fingers filling him retreat, leaving him empty. It's a passing thought, one he discards right away, but he wonders if maybe next time he can be on the receiving end curious about how it would feel to have Frong inside. He doesn't have time to elaborate further on it though, because a moment later he hears the the sound of aluminum foil being ripped.

"I promise this is money well spent," Frong says as he throws on the floor the package and the box with the rest of the condoms, and rolls one on Thara. "This is how you want it, right?"

Thara nods and watches in rapture as he squeezes a gallop of lube into his palm and rubs it around him, generously coating his whole lenght. He enjoys the view as Frong reaches behind and lubes himself up. He feels the thightness in his groin increase as he watches him on his knees, his six-pack and pecs lean and tight while he covers his ass with the gel. He is biting his lips in concentration and maybe a little bit of pleasure as does, and Thara likes him like that: unguarded, unknowingly getting ready to be taken apart. 

"You like what you see, P'Doctor?" Frong asks him with a smug face as he throws one leg over his hips and he sits down on Thara lowel belly.

"Perfect," is all he can answer, mesmerized by the man on top of him as he balances himself on his chest, slowly hopping on him. Thara can't take his eyes off his face and decides to stay still when he notices him wincing a couple of times. He feels him tight around him and he doesn't have to guess that it must have been a while since the last time he had anal sex. When he has finally settled, cock disappeared and balls deep, Thara brings him down by putting an hand behind his neck and kisses him. He's feeling emotional, maybe because it's been half a year since the last time he got laid, maybe because the person accomodating him at the moment makes him feel all sorts of feelings and it's been so long since he had felt like that that he wishes he could make him understand. But he can't tell him in words, so he might as well try making him feel it through his body.

Thara bends his knees to find the right leverage and start thrusting into him, hands on Frong's ass pushing it down whenever he bounces too much or he feels like he is slipping out. Frong puts pressure on his thigh, forcing him to rest his bottom on the bed as he adjustes himself, hips slightly rolling over him. Thara let's out a loud groan, startling himself while Frong smirks at his reaction. He reaches out and starts stroking him, eliciting a moan as his body bounces on his lenght as he watches a few beads of sweat rolling down his sculptured chest and the perfect abs: Thara had figured he worked out regularly and he is not half ashamed of finding himself staring at the well-defined curves of Frong's body, eyes darting lower and following the faint trail of thin hairs leading straight to the cock wrappend in his hand. Frong could have come on his belly right the and he wouldn't care. But he wants more than that.

"Bend over," he tells him as he rolls them over and picks up Frong by the waist to get him in the position he wants. "On your hands and knees." 

He is behind him in a second, his penis sliding between his cheeks a couple of times before thrusting in at once. Frong lets out a curse and a moan as he buries his face into the pillow in front of him, and Thara takes advantage of his body shifting foward to press his spine even lower and slings one leg over to his side, his whole weight now pushing into Frong's core, his cock buried ball-deep inside. 

Sure, his fake date said he would make it worth the money he was spending, but Thara didn't know if this was going to be a one time only kind of occurance or if it would happen again. What he knows is that he wants to leave an impression, he wants Frong to remember him as a good client and a good fuck. What he doesn't want is being like everyone else, whether they came before or after him.

He doesn't care about anything else as long as this moment is real, even if it won't be everlasting.

"How close are you?" he asks when he realizes that Frong has been squeezing at the base of his cock in an attempt to delay his orgasm.

"I'm alright."

When he avoids answering the question, Thara leans over to the side, making them both fall. Holding himself up on one arm, he adjusts his position and takes Frong's hands away from his throbbing member, guiding one of them so he can hold up his leg. When he is sure they are on the same page he moves forward, trying to keep a rhythm and thrusting as deep as he can, having noticed that is how he likes it and that is when his moans seem to get louder and strangled at the same time, as if the pleasure is too much to be turned into a coherent sound. Frong leans into him and throws his head back, almost lying on the mattress, giving Thara the chance to look at his face as he keeps pumping, his mouth slightly open, his pupils probably out of focus under his half closed eyelids. He reaches out to Frong's neck and cups his jaw, pulling him towards his face and sealing their mouths close, tongues swirling while he gets lost in his taste and the way he feels when he presses his lips against Frong's. Moans muted out for a few moments, in the quiet of the room all he can hear are the squeaky sounds of his wet cock thrusting and withdrawing in a perfect rhythm. Until Frong moves his head away and adds his own high notes again to the music they are creating. His own orgasm close, Thara pulls the other's body to his, the palm of one hand open on his chest keeping him in place, he bits into his shoulder when Frong's hand moves up to cover his.

"This feels so good," Frong says, sprawled on the bed. Thara kisses him one more time before manuvering himself in a upright position, standing on his knees between Frong's legs, one bent on his shoulder, the other across his thigh leaving him the chance to look the perfect body infront of him. He gives him a couple of firm strokes before increasing his speed and thrusting in. Frong clenches around him as white cum spurs and lands all over his abdomen, his breath labored and his expression something between bliss and wonder. He comes right after, glad he is on the bed because his legs give away making him fall forward and hoover over Frong as he pushes himself as deep as he can until the last drop of his load has left his body. 

He has barely caught his breath, still coming down from his high, when hands cups his jaw and he looks up at his relaxed face as he basks in his post-coital glow. Frong gives him a couple of pecks, briefly sucking his lips, and Thara finds it out of character but goes along with it, glad he seems satisfied as well.

"This was good," Thara says, raising himself up and pulling out so he can take off the dirty condom and discard it in the trash can.

"Told ya," Frong replies, a small laugh leaving his lips while he takes a tissue from the box conveniently placed next to the bed. Thara laughs with him, eyes on the abs that he is wiping clean and on the drop of white glistening on top of his now half-relaxed cock. He wonders if doing it again would cost him double, but he keeps the question to himself trying not to ruin the moment before deciding that it doesn't really matter how much this night will cost him: he is going to do as he wishes.

So he goes back to bed and takes him into his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not the best at writing this kind of scenes, and that's why I keep doing it: practice makes perfect. Or at least slightly better! Let me know what you think, for me the story starts now!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the times sex with his clients was a repetition of the same motions with the inclusion of a few tricks he had learned along the way. It wasn't as amazing as some might think because no matter how gorgeous the other person was, he was just focused on doing a good job to satisfy them and hopefully have them calling back for more. His own pleasure was usually unimportant, sometimes he didn't even come.
> 
> Nothing like the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back to PG15 chapters. I see you all read but refrained from leaving comments and that's very cute. Let's move forward!

**FRONG**

  
Sun up in the sky, the afternoon rays of light hitting the black screen of the television in front of him, he grabs the wifebeater abandoned on the couch before putting it on, the rest of his outfit of the day including a pair of boxers only. He tries to suppress a yawn and fails miseraby, still tired because of the exhausting activities of the night before. Most of the times sex with his clients was a repetition of the same motions with the inclusion of a few tricks he had learned along the way. It wasn't as amazing as some might think because no matter how gorgeous the other person was, he was just focused on doing a good job to satisfy them and hopefully have them calling back for more. His own pleasure was usually unimportant, sometimes he didn't even come.

Nothing like the night before.

Iced coffees and chips in hand, Kao sits down next to him and turns the tv on. They had plans to watch a boxing match but he had completely forgotten about it. 

"You rarely sleep in and it's two in the afternoon. Did you come home late from that wedding gig? How did it go?" 

Frong takes a sip from his cup, the cold liquid giving life back to his parched throat. "It ran longer than I expected."

"Man, warn me when something like that happens. When I got no news from you and you didn't answer your phone after midnight I freaked out. I swear I almost called the cops but the location on the gps was the same as the hotel, I figured there might be loud music or something."

"Yeah, or something," he replies distractly, flashes of Thara's tongue tracing his lips and his jaw before making its way down low. Very low. Despite the amount of alcohol he had consumed, the image was vivid in his memory and he can still see him blowing him, eyes occasionally looking up to him. It was the first time in years that he had so much fun on the job and that he didn't feel like anything remotely close to trash. 

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look good," Kao's nagging brings him out of his reverie. "What the fuck is that?"

At his friend's alarmed tone Frong looks around only to realize he is pointing at his shoulder, now decorated with a red mark left by the one and only doctor in his life. He vaguely remembers the moment his teeth sank into the skin, not because he felt any pain though. Everything about last night is nothing but pleasure and if he doesn't stop thinking about it he might get a boner.

Kao abandons his coffee on the table and lifts his tshirt, stopping at the sight of more red spots scattered on his chest. He pushes him away before he notices the long trail of hickeys Thara left on his side, his way of teasing him while he internally begged to be taken from behind sooner.

"Tell me the truth: were you assulted? Should I call the police?"

As ridiculous as he finds his friend's assumptions, he also thinks his concern over him being very sweet. "Calm down, nothing like that happened," he replies.

"After the wedding I did some _overtime_." 

"What? With the doctor?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. You said he had zero interest in that."

"He must have changed his mind," he says, thinking about the envelope in his room. Trusting Thara to pay the right amount of money, he hadn't checked the contents until he was home and realized that the number of bills where double the amount they had agreed on. He had texted him right away to inform him of the mistake he had made, only to be told that the extra fifteen thousand were for the lack of notice in his request for sex and to express his appreciation for leaving him tremendously satisfied. Okay, maybe he didn't use exactly those words, but that was the jist.

"Are you kidding me? He gave you 15k as a tip?"

"Sorta, I guess."

"Wait, is this why you are like this? Because it was that good?" 

He lets out a laugh at bot the outraged expression on Kao's face and the memory of the first time they did it, when he had to try his best to delay his release. He usually has enough endurance to last a while, or at least long enough to be a gentleman and make his partner come first. Differently from other jobs, everything got intense right away and he can't lie: he was surprised by how straightforward Thara was in his requests, having mistakenly thought of him as someone more hesitant, a conclusion he got to based on the time and the way he decided to get in touch and hire him. But he had been wrong: he wasn't indecisive nor unconfident. Just like in his work, he probably analyzed the situation and the outcome he wanted before taking the conclusive step. He had realized it when he felt his own body being handled as the doctor pleased on the bed: Thara knew exactly what he wanted.

"Best fuck I had in years," he says, a shiver running through his spine while he remembers the way Thara held him and looked down into his eyes as they came the last time: like he was seeing him, the real him, and not just some tool he was using to get off.

"And you fucking got paid for it. Double!" Kao raises his voice in disbelief. "I can't believe it, you son of a bitch!"

"It was so good that maybe I shouldn't have let him pay, he basically did me a favor."

"Should I leave my day job and follow your path?"

"And you think your girlfriend will let you?" he smacks him. "She'd dump you your ass in an instant and there's no way I'm gonna put up with your whining."

"That's true," Kao nods while munching on a handful of chips. "So, are you gonna see him again?"

"He didn't schedule any more appointments." 

"What about outside of the job?" Kao asks him after a pause. Frong looks at him questioningly, not sure of the nature of that question, as if he is implying that there could be something different than a work releationship, maybe something more. "I mean, for some reason you have been very into him since the beginning. It's been years since I've seen you so curious and amused like this."

"A client wanting to date me for real? Are you out of your mind?" he laughs in his face. "I am a bit interested in him, but it doesn't really matter. Sure, he is handsome and good in bed and has a tons of other amazing qualities. But he also has a career in a notable field. You think he would date a whore? If im lucky he'll call back for more and I'll make a dent in my debt. Anything beyond that is pure delusion."

"Frong," Kao says and he doesn't have to look back at his friend to know he is wearing a pitiful expression on his face. He is sure he doesn't do that on purpose, nobody does. But it annoys him nonetheless." You are more than that. "

"I know, but this is the reality now. Let's not talk about it, okay?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they had gotten dressed and closed the door of their room behind them, they had both come back to reality. It was a job for him.
> 
> No sweet words, no good-bye kisses, no lingering stares.

**THARA**

  
"Rumor has it you have gotten yourself a hot boyfriend. I'm one of your best-friends but I didn't know anything about it."

He looks up from the screen of his laptop when Am walks meanacely inside his office and close the door behind them. She leaves a coffee on his desk before sitting on the other side.

"Was the whole party stoned, hence victim of a collective allucination?"

He rolls his eyes and goes back to this paper, sparing her the minimum attention: "He's a friend who pretended to be my boyfriend. He was doing me a favor to avoid useless drama with Arm."

The silence that follows makes him even more nervous than the questions. His focus gone, he leans back on his chair and finds her staring at him, a cheshire cat grin on her face that makes him want to run away. "What?"

"Well," she replies tapping her index on her lips. "Do you go around kissing your friends?"

Thara hides his face behind his hands. He did all of that to avoid being talked about and in the end he made things worse. Kissing Frong in public was for sure not the wisest of his decisions but he didn't expect people to pay that much attention to them. Besides it had been dark and they were in a faraway corner, who noticed them?

"I mean, I know I'm not your type. But I'm sure you never made a move on Boom either, and he's cute!"

"Oh god!"

"Apparently you were making out and then you suddenly disappeared! P'Hwa thinks you got yourself a room and celebrated your honeymoon even before the bride and the groom could!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"No one would blame you: according to the girls your _friend_ is super hot."

"We didn't do anything. We drank a lot and decided it was time to go to sleep. Each in our own bed in our own apartments, before you ask," he says, stopping her before she could more assumptions of what could have happened. He was getting better at making up lies, this one rolling out of his tongue more smoothly than he expected.

"If you say so."

"Thanks," he sighs. "Now can I go back to work, please?"

Am stands up, still looking suspicious but not pressing the matter any longer. "Alright, grumpy pants. I see you're not ready yet but eventually you'll have to tell me more about this friend of yours. Because I know all of your friends and you can't fool me."

"Thanks for the coffee," he adds gesturing to the door.

"I hate you."

"Me too."

He takes a sip from his cup and tries to focus again on his research. It is a useless effort since he can't help but think about what happened a couple of nights before, every move and every sound they made playing in his head like a movie. An x-rated one, that was sure. But it hadn't just been really good sex. Being attracted to someone as good-looking as Frong was nothing extraordinary: the majority of the women and a few men at the wedding had troubles tearing off their gazes from him. Just like anyone could have a one-night stand with a guy as handsome and as good in bed and enjoy it, maybe even wish on a second or even third time. If it was just because of that, he would have no problems forgetting him and moving on, letting him be part of a nice memory of the one time he got a stranger to be his fake lover as his date at a wedding.

It was all about the connection he felt to him, the happiness he felt when he smiled his way, or the feeling of accomplishment he got whenever he was able to make him laugh. It was his eyes, sad and malinconic most of the time, that made him want to wrap him in a warm blanket, hand him a cup of tea and stare into nothingness with him until he was ready to share what troubled him. It was the way Frong had looked at him at the end of the night as they rested naked, each on one side of the bed, a smile on his lips and something akin to gratefulness shining in his eyes. Thara didn't understand exactly what it was about that made him look so thankful, but he knew that he had wanted to hold him close and never let him go. He had almost asked Duen to tell him more about his friend, set on wanting to know who had made him seem so unhappy and what had lead him to that lifestyle.

Unfortunately their relationship was anything but romantic. Once they had gotten dressed and closed the door of their room behind them, they had both come back to reality. It was a job for him, Thara having been his employer as he lied to his friends about them dating; he had been still the one who hired him to have sex with him, proof being the money he had handed him when he took him home in the middle of the night. 

No sweet words, no good-bye kisses, no lingering stares. 

It didn't matter how close he felt to him because they were nothing. He is nothing but one of dozens, maybe hundreds of clients. 

He picks up his phone from the table and scrolls down the contacts list until he reaches Frong's number: he taps on the three dots on the right side of the screen and stops, one finger hoovering over the delete option. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all having a great weekend!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He is out of Bangkok for work, currently lounging around on the couch of the room he shares with one of his clients who booked him for the whole weekend.
> 
> A couple of times a year she would take a day or two off and they would spend them together away from the city, usually in a relaxing place with a calming enviroment, like the luxurious spa they are visiting this time. They don't do much except for eating, getting massages, sometimes going out for a drive. And of course having sex.

**FRONG**

  
He is out of Bangkok for work, currently lounging around on the couch of the room he shares with one of his clients who booked him for the whole weekend.

P'Jenny is her name and she is one of his very first clients: single and with no time to waste on being fakely romanced by insecure men who find her confidence threathening, a career woman in her early thirties with clear goals on how are life is supposed to be. A couple of times a year she would take a day or two off and they would spend them together away from the city, usually in a relaxing place with a calming enviroment, like the luxurious spa they are visiting this time. They don't do much except for eating, getting massages, sometimes going out for a drive. And of course having sex.

As he waits for to be done getting ready so they can go out for a walk in town and have dinner she taps on the Instagram app and scrolls down his feed. He is about to close it, annoyed by the display of coloreful drinks and avocado sandwiches -delicious food but not really deserving of a million photo-shoots- when he sees one of Duen's posts. It's from three days ago and it is a picture of him making the V sign next to P'Doctor. He is wearing his white gown, his guess that he would look astounding in it being confirmed, and he supposes they ran into each other at the hospital.

Curious, he clicks on his name and takes a look at his account, chuckling when he is not surprised to find very few pics, mostly of pretty scenaries and a familiar looking lizard.

"Cupcake," he says softly remembering the night when he was shown her picture for the first time. It is like she is posing and he can't help but find her and her owner quite adorable.

"Huh? Are you craving dessert?"

P'Jenny's voice comes from behind him. She walks to her bag, a towel around her head and nothing but her underwear convering her body. 

"Nah, I just saw one on a friend's IG."

"Ok," she says taking out a tablet from her bag. "I'm gonna check a few important e-mails real quick and then we're ready to go. Half hour tops."

He nods as she runs back to the bedroom, the ping from his phone getting his attention back. Kao lines him to curse at him having the time of his life while he is running around in the heat and humidity of the city, the sweat rolling all the way to his ass. Frong takes a selfie making sure to show him the luxurious view of his room in the background and doesn't forget to show him his middle finger. He knows his friend is teasing him and he doesn't envy him one bit: he remembers when they used to wait together, running all over the place with trays full of dishes and drinks, drops of sweat on his back and the clothes sticking to his skin like glue despite di air conditioning. He throws the phone on the space next to his legs and rests his arms behind his head to enjoy the quiet: beyond the glass door the leads to the patio only trees and a river in the distance. He can imagine the sound of the flowing water as it carries away each of his worries. Coming here on a real vacation would be nice and he riminds himself to do it once he has time and can afford it.

His phone starts ringing and he answers without checking the caller: it is his personal phone and only a handful of people know his number. And since he just teased one of them he expects nobody but Kao to be on the other hand.

Instead what he hears is the voice of a stranger that is engraved in his memory.

"P'Doctor?" he asks as he straighten up and checks the ID on the screen. It has been more than a week and he never called. Not that he expected him too. After the first few days of no news he had guessed Thara wasn't interested in him anymore: he had gotten rid of his itch that night and moved on. Sure, he wouldn't have minded if he had become one of his habitual customers: he didn't get to sleep with many men and this one was particularily pleasant to be with. It would have been a nice change. But if he had moved on he could do the same. So he stopped thinking about him. 

But maybe all of that was about to change.

"Hey, hum... how are you?"

Frong pulled the phone away from his face and tried his best to hold the chuckle trying to excape his mouth, Thara's hesitant and almost shy voice made him very cute.

"I'm good. What about you, P'Doc?"

"Same. Busy."

He waited a few seconds for him to get it over with but when he kept silent he decided to ask him first: "Do you need a date to another wedding?"

"No," he could hear the deep sigh even if he probably moved the speaker away from his lips. "Actually it's because of what you said the last time. You said to call you if I wanted to do it again."

"I did say that," he replied thinking about their parting words when Thara gave him a ride home. "So?"

"So could you fit me into your schedule?"

"Tuesday night?" he suggests looking at his digital planner.

"I'm out of town and I probably won't be back before ten or even eleven."

"Ok. The week after then." He is a tiny little bit disappointed, eager to see him sooner and have some fun while working. He realizes the line has gone mute and checks if they are still connected or if has hung up.

"Tuesday night, that late... would it be a problem for you?"

He tries not to smile, but one look at the glass door right in front of him tells him he fails. "Not at all."

"Is my place okay?"

"Text me the address and I'll be there by eleven."

They say their goodbyes and he waits for Thara's address before noting everything down in the free slot. He checks his messages on Line and finds a new one from Kao, just a picture of a pile of dirty dishes and huge crying emoji plastered in the middle of the one on top. He wonders how often he can meet his doctor, how much he is going to add to his regular earnings. The debt accumulated during his mom's illness is almost taken care off, the amount to be paid shared between him and his brothers. And he should be able to cover the rest of debt he made to buy her shop back over the next few months. Once he has done that the only thing left is saving enough money to go back to school and pay for his living expenses for at least a couple of years so he won't have to be worried about being able to make ends meet while he finishes studies. He hopes that doing this for one more year will be enough. He adds a memo on his phone to give a call to his accountat by the end of next week to get an updated report on the situation.

"Alright, let's go. There's this greek place not far from here. They serve the best souvlaki you'll ever eat outside of Greece."

"Yay, whatever that is," he says getting up from the couch, still looking pretty satisfied with how things turned out. 

"Did something good happen in the last twenty minutes? You look almost happy?" P'Jenny asks him with a laugh. 

"Nothing. I just can't wait to eat some delicious greek food, that's it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up, fam? The updates speed might slow down in the next couple of weeks. Or maybe not, it depends on good I am at managing my time.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wipes the mist away and looks at himself in the mirror, getting all ridiculous when he starts flexing his muscles: it is not like they haven't seen each other naked before, but he was slightly nervous since his crush was probably sitting on his couch, waiting for him to have sex. 
> 
> Sex he was paying for.

**THARA**

  
It had been almost eleven when he had finally parked his car, Frong leaning against the gate as he played on his phone. Fortunately he had cleaned before leaving and there was no mess that he would have to witness. He was a very organized and clean person to begin with, but he liked things to be as perfect as they could be, especially if he was trying to impress. Once inside he had told Frong to make himself home, check out the fridge if he was hungry or thirsty, while he took a shower to wash away the day spent among people and travelling. 

He wipes the mist away and looks at himself in the mirror, getting all ridiculous when he starts flexing his muscles: it is not like they haven't seen each other naked before, but he was slightly nervous since his crush was probably sitting on his couch, waiting for him to have sex. 

Sex he was paying for. 

It wasn't a normal situation and he was trying to deal with it minute-by-minute.

He puts on his favorite sweatpants and a loose tunic, creamy white and with a deep V-cut that shows the curve of his pecs: it looks effortlessly sexy and chill enough to be worn at home, or at least that is what he is going for. He decides to get back into the living room while wiping his damp hair with a towel, hipbones showing while his arm is raised to his head. He is not really good at seducing but he thinks he has to put as much effort as he can, even if it means he feels like an idiot. 

"Nice place," Frong says from the couch, where he imagined him to be. The tv is on but he is looking down at his phone.

"Thanks, it's not too big but big enough for me," he keeps drying his hair, unsure what to do with his hands. "Do you want something to drink?"

Finally he looks his way and Thara sees the rapid movement of Frong's eyes as he takes a peak around his belt for a brief second, his gaze going back up to his face right away.

"Whatever you're drinking is fine."

On the way to the fridge he leaves the towel on a stool, feeling more confident now that he got him interested, and takes out a couple of beers which he brings over, handing one to Frong while he takes a sip from his own bottle.

"I'm sorry you had to come at this hour."

"I'm gonna be honest: I usually refrain from making appointments this late at night. But I also know you're quite busy and finding at the last minute a slot that works for both can be a hassle. If you don't mind me suggesting it, we could come up with a schedule and plan ahead. That is, if you want this to be a more or less regular thing. That's how I do it with other clients who are as busy as you."

He's slightly taken back at the mention of his other clients, an unjustified disappointment weighting on his chest. He is aware of the fact that it is a good idea, that it would make everything easier but that is not what is troubling him. It is the fact that he is not the only one for him, and Frong, intentionally or not, seems to be making sure he doesn't forget that, bringing it up every time in one way or another. Thara wanted to run from the truth but he kept holding him in place to make him face it. He nods in agreement and takes one last sip from his beer before putting it on the table and getting closer. 

If he wants to remind him this isn't real, Thara will remind what he is here for. 

Frong waits for him, still in his seat and bottle clutched in his hand. He takes it away and leaves it next to his on the coffee table then leans in, their lips meeting.

Frong's hands slip under his shirt, his fingertips slowly brushing against his skin and resting on his chest for a few seconds before finally holding him by his sides and pulling him down, caging himself between the couch and his body.

He smiles into their kiss when he hears a loud sigh as his crotch presses down on Frong's, the friction delicious and awaking every nerve in his body. Thara traps his lower lip in a small bite, Frong's eyes shutting open when he pulls away and slides down between his legs, unbuttoning his pants in the process and taking him in his hand, delighted in the fact that he is already half-hard.

"You don't have to," Frong says looking down at him and Thara wonders what that means: are they not having sex? That is the only way he knows to: caring and pleasuring each other, making it so they both enjoy it. The fact that that is nothing but a service in exchange of money doesn't make it any different for him. Even just considering that he doesn't have to do stuff like giving him a blowjob or dismiss Frong's own orgasm makes him feel that something would be missing, that he would be really be using him as if he were a mere doll. And he doesn't want that: he wants them both to like it and feel good. Also, wouldn't he be a bad employer if his negligence left his employee unhappy and unsatisfied?

"I want to," he replies, licking the head and sucking it to show him he wasn't backing out. "So take what I give you and don't think too much. I'm not doing this alone."

Thara is not sure if he gets his meaning or not, and in the moment it doesn't really matter because he is stroking him and blowing him, and Frong gets restless briefly after. His breathing more labored, he starts squirming under him and Thara gloats over the effect he can have on him, regardless of the reason. Be it because it is a normal reaction to the physical stimulation or because he is the one doing it, that is exactly where and how he wants him to be: close, preferably naked, twisting in pleasure and unashamed of letting him know that he is getting a kick out of their activities, too.

"Bedroom?" He barely hears Frong'squestion as he is panting over him. He looks up and takes a couple of seconds to admire his shiny eyes and the blush on his cheeks that make him look younger and even a little bit innocent. "Or we can do it here, if that's what you want."

"Maybe next time," he replies standing up and pulling Frong who impatiently starts stripping him as they walk to his room, clothes flying every few seconds just to uncerimoniously ending up on the floor. Once he is finally done Thara lifts his hands up to the other's face, thumbs running softly over his cheeks. He captures his lips in another kiss, swallowing the startled moan Frong lets out when they bump into a wall, their crotches pressing, his chest flat against the other's, the friction on their nipples sending a wave down his spine, and he figures it must be the same for him because Frong's kisses become more open-mouthed, his tongue moving in slower but deeper strokes inside his mouth. The only thing Thara can do is sigh as he waits for him to get down from whatever high he is in at the moment.

"You're way too nice, P'Doctor. You know that, right?" Frong tells him against his lips, still kissing him, his tongue darting out slightly every other peck to tease him . Thara has always thought of himself as a decent human being, but now he is doubtful. Would a nice person take advantage of somebody's else boy like he did? Like he is still doing? Would a nice person make use of another's body to satisfy his own desires, be it for sex or for the illusion of being loved? Because he knows he would pay to take Frong on a date, or for a walk on beach, or even to the movies. He would pay to spend time with him and just hold hands.

"So how do you want it today?" 

Frong's questions stunns him and he realizes he is looking at him in confusion. "If I said like the last time it would be a little vague, we did many things. I'm a professional but you gotta be a little bit specific. If you give me a clue we can go from there... are you in the mood for something more rough or soft? You looked like you'd like both. I'm open to pretty much everything that's legal and that can't mistakenly kill or hurt either of us." 

"I don't like you asking it like that," he blurts out sounding like a petulant child.

"Why? It reminds you this ain't a hookup but a job?"

"I guess. It feels like I'm picking food at the store."

"That's cute," Frong says, brushing away the bangs on Thara's forehead. "Since both the last time and today you've been really nice to me, how about I give you a present? I'll do anything you want, how you want it. Even stuff I never tried before, as long as it makes you happy and doesn't make you feel like you're having sex with someone you don't like."

He wants to tell him that he does like him, but he is afraid it would scare him away or decide that their deal is off. He thinks about it for a second, not really sure about what he is supposed to ask for: is it sex related? A position? A particular practice? He is not into BDSM shit so he rules that out. Frong's hand on his cock distracts him, the firm strokes paired with the nibs and licks he giving to his nipples making him lose focus every other second.

"Like we're normal," he manages to say, finally or unfortunately making Frong pause his ministrations and looking up at him. "Let's do it like we are a normal couple, like you'd do it with your boyfriend and not with a client. Not just this once. Always."

Frong doesn't agree nor does he object. He wraps his arms behind his neck, hands pressed against Thara's back, holding him as close as he can before whispering in his ear. "Let's make love, then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It finally started... I can't wait to finish writing the rest!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the few months he had been working for him, Frong had noticed this: with Thara it was always like spending time with a boyfriend and having sex with a real lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cupcake, the star of the series, graces us with an appearance and she is a lucky girl!

**FRONG**

  
In the few months he had been working for him, Frong had noticed this: with Thara it was always like spending time with a boyfriend and having sex with a real lover. Sure, at the beginning of their business partnership the doctor had in fact asked him to make it seem more like the real thing. He was positive that it wasn't a kink of his because he never went over the top with the "pretense" as he could call it. Although it never seemed a pretense either. Strangers having sex, when no feelings were involved, usually felt different and unless he was a psycho, faking it for such a long time would have been hard. 

They had become sort of friends, and maybe that could have been the reason why everything felt so natural between them. He was the client he would see more often, their appointments being almost weekly. They had a routine: on Thursday nights he would go to his place and they would have dinner, then sex. As they ate they would talk about their day or their week, then have sex. Or they would watch a movie, make out on the couch and have sex. It felt like dating, except on his way out he would always receive his white envelope with the adequate amount of cash. 

He was used to sleeping with all kinds of people, some were bad at it, some were good, but none of them ever took his breath away the way Thara did every time he made him cum. He had tried to understand his secret, to find out what tricks he was using to make him feel like that but he never seemed to do anything special or different. The technique was average but the result was outstanding. _Less is more_ , they said in fashion -or so the girls had told him. And maybe it was the same for him: he kept it simple but had mastered it to point of become exceptionally good.

He punches in the code Thara has given to him before walking inside and turning on the lights. They had skipped the last scheduled appointment because Thara was in China for one of his conferences and had asked him to meet on the day he came back, even giving him his door code so he could go in instead of waiting for him outside: a sign of trust that didn't go unnoticed so even if it was a Sunday which was usually his day off, he had decided to agree to his request to meet on a different day than they usually did.

Frong had realized that he bent his rules more than once when it came to him, but Thara was a good guy and at the moment also a very steady source of income. Besides, even if he liked hanging out at his place, he still tried to keep as much distance as he could: multiple times he had been offered to spend the night because it was late so he wouldn't have to drive back home in the middle of the night. But he had always refused, feeling that sharing a bed until morning with someone like him would dissolve what little was left of the very thin line between professional and personal.

He goes straight to the kitchen and gets a juice from the fridge. Aside from a few boxes of that and water, there is nothing else. He wonders if he will be hungry once he comes back: plane food was not to be considered a meal so maybe they can order something when he arrives.

He throws away the empty box and walks out, lighting up the living room on the way. When he spends time here he is never alone and he tries his best not get too nosy. But today Thara's house is the land of freedom for a few more minutes, so he decides to take a look around. The place itself isn't exceptionally big, and with the owner spending there barely enough time to sleep, he thinks he wasn't wrong in picking a small apartment. The neighborhood is nice, the whole complex looks new and well refined. It doesn't scream millionaire but it does look expensive, and he knows for sure that his doctor bought the place. There are only a few frames on display and he finally gets close enough to look at the pictures: there's one of him and his sister on his graduation day a pretty bouquet of flowers in his hand, the other arm around her shoulders. He always has the most gorgeous smile, but in that moment he looks radiant with happiness, and Frong can't help but smile back. Next there's one more from his younger years: he seems to be in his late teens, his hair a shade lighter and styled while he is lying down on a field with his parents on his sides. A few more pictures with friends follow -a couple of them he can recognize from the wedding they went to. And the last one of him wearing a backpack and sitting on a rock, a valley and a river in the background. He looks happy, satisfied maybe. And definitely in peace with the world. Frong is sure that nature makes him look the best even if he is only wearing comfortable clothes and tracking shoes.

He walks into Cupcake's room and gets closer to the terrarium. It takes him a few seconds to find her but finally he spots her hiding behind a rock. He taps gently on the glass and studies her as she turns and nervously looks around.

"Hey gorgeous," he says, the sound of his voice catches her attention. "What have you been up to?" 

Cupcake hesitates for a second before taking a few steps in his direction. He knows she is still wary around him but compared to a couple of months ago, they seem to be on more friendly terms lately. In the beginning she would hide whenever he was in the room even if Thara was with him; now she slowly comes to him as long as he is on the other side of the glass. 

"The other day I was looking up stuff online and I saw this super cool rock cave that you'd love. It got a very simple design and it's kind of a light greenish amazonite color: it seems so relaxing and it definitely goes with the rest of your interior. I can totally see you chilling on the top and hide at the speed of light when your daddy comes in." 

The lizard looks up at him, straight into his eyes and he definitely sees something in there. Does she understand him? 

"You like that, right? Well, surprise: I got it for you!" he tells her excitedly without scaring her. "It should arrive tomorrow so next time I come I'll give it to P'Doctor and he can set it up in your home. That spot over there would be perfect, don't you think?" he says pointing at a sort of tree in the corner that she likes to climb. "But we have to ask him first since he'll be the one doing all the manual work. I've been told I'm good with my hands but not like that. If you know what I mean."

"So that's how you've been getting friendly with my pet," a voice says from his back. He turns to find Thara leaning against the door frame, a fond expression on his tired face. "Don't spoil her too much."

"You are the one who spoils her too much, _daddy_ Thara," he winks at him. "Is it ok though? I should have asked you before buying it. If you dont like it-"

"It's ok," he interrupts him. "And thank you, I'm sure she'll love it. We can install it together next week."

He nods, feeling warm by the way he says it or maybe just because of the mere fact they make him feel included, Thara and Cupcake. "I didn't hear you come in."

"You were busy flirting with my baby," he laughs as they both go back to the kitchen, Thara letting his jacket fall on the couch on the way. Frong follows him and can't help but admire him as he flexes his back while taking off his tie, the movement of his muscles clearily visible under the white shirt. "And keep your skilled hands away from her. Those are for me only."

He gets his focus back and lifts his gaze just in time for Thara to turn around, a smirk on his face. "That was a private conversation between me and my girl."

"Are you asking me to apologize for witnessing your conversation inside my house?"

"Maybe," he whispers as he gets closer, the perfume filling his nostrils: it is fruity and sort of flowery but not sweet and definitely not girly. And it always turn him on big time. "I hear you don't mind getting on your knees. That could be your apology."

"Look forward to it," Thara replies before giving him a quick peck and proceeding to the kitchen. "I bought food on the way back, I'm starving. Did you eat? I got some for you, too."

Frong watches him unboxing their dinner. He walks towards the cupoboard and takes out plates, glasses and utensils for both, for the first time realizing he knows exactly where everything is. When they finally sit down to eat, Thara tells him the conference was more boring than he expected but he was glad to be back in Shanghai, where he lived for a semester during his college years. It is the first time he hears that he has spent such a long time abroad so he asks him about it and gladly listens to the stories about his favorite places, the regret for not being able to stay longer because he was prioritizing his studies. 

Even though they get along just fine, Frong sees his brothers pretty much only during the holidays a few times a year, their daily lives always too busy to catch up more often. Kao is the only person he usually shares meals with, his clients being an exception because it is all fake and it is always in classy restaurants with a background music he dislikes and where the dishes never fill him up. The food is good, the ambience expensive, but at the end of the day he is a man of substance used to warm soups and homemade noodles and fatty salads that make you feel full and happy. 

And he especially likes impromptu dinners consisting of huge portions of reheated _khao khluk kapi_ picked up in a hurry after a five hours flight.

Once they are done he volunteers to clean up the table so Thara can take a shower and relax, the least he can do since once again he got a free meal.

"Hurry up! We ate a mountain of rice so we better start burning up some calories," he jokes piling the dirty plates and the spoons. When he doesn't get a response he looks to his side, where the doctor is watching him with a grave expression on his face. They look at each other in silence for a second before Thara slowly covers the two steps that separate them and plants a soft kiss on his lips, nothing more than a shy peck.

"Actually I'm quite tired," he says without moving away but without moving closer either.

"Ok." He is a bit taken back and hurt by the slight feeling of rejection but he tries his best not to show it. "Do you want me to leave?"

Finally he smiles, a knowing smile that makes him tremble, and puts his arms around him, hands resting loosly on Frong's lower back. 

"Of course not. But maybe we can switch around."

He clearly understands his words but his suggestion is unexpected, so he blurts out in the weirdest way a chocked "what?"

"Take me," the doctor succintly elaborate, and just the tone of his voice as he says it, low and deep, makes Frong hard and ready to hear his moans as he pounds him. "Tonight fuck me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for always being so nice and leaving so many comments! I hope my replies don't annoy you, I just love talking to you! :D


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't stop." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday everyone! 
> 
> Smut ahead, you've been warned!

**FRONG**

  
When he hears the water being turned off he takes a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had gotten used to their habits in bed, and even though it was always beyond good between them, he also knew what to expect every time he stepped over the threshold. It was like having their roles under the sheets and he had gotten accustomed to them and to him calling the shots, not once having second-guessed that there could be a change. 

Hence, the proposal he got a few minutes before was unexpected. But also very exciting. 

He detects movements coming from the bedroom, the lights on and the sound of feet shuffling on the floor make his heart speed up and without further hesitation he walks straight to the room. Thara is standing in front of his closet, a towel wrapped around his hips the only article of clothing barely covering his body.

"No need to waste your time putting on clothes now," he says taking a few steps forward while pulling off his shirt and dropping it carelessly on the ground. Thara turns around just in time to see him up close for a moment before his lips are captured by Frong's. He can feel him smile into the kiss, probably amused by the sudden attack. He pulls back and grins, hands on Thara's shoulders as he pushes him toward the bed until he plops on it. They both laugh as Frong drops his jeans and underwear at once, then gets on the mattress to kneel between his legs before leaning down to give him one more kiss.

"Somebody's excited," Thara says from under him, pulling him close and lifting his hips agains his crotch. Frong knows well he is already getting hard, but strangely that's the effect this doctor has on him most of the times and he doesn't really worry about the reason why. It makes the job easier, and that's what matters.

"Aren't we both," he answers back grinding against him, the towel rising and leaving him exposed. He has just taken him in his palm and is slowly stroking his length when Thara pulls him down flat against his body, one hand on the nape of his neck holding him in place, soft lips against his mouth. Chests brushing as he almost imperceptibly moves over him, he keeps petting his cock following the same rhythm of Thara's tongue and basks in the chain of yeah's and moans. In one form or another, Thara has always given him confirmations of how much he liked it, but lately he seems to be more vocal. And Frong likes it: it is sexy and as real as it could get, and it makes him want to give him more and more, even if it is just as a reward for treating him more like a human being than anyone else.

He leans back and looks briefly at him all flushed, his damp hair a messy dark crown on the creamy colored sheets.

"Come here," Thara says pulling him by the hips. He follows his directions and climbs over his body until he is squatting over his chest. Thara's hands press his knees down on the mattress as he lift his torso, neck bent towards him as he swallows his hard shaft at once. Frong falls on his knees, making sure not to rest his whole weight on him, and gently strokes the back of his head. It is only a few minutes later that he spots a pillow and bends over to grab it and place it under the doctor's shoulder, the sudden movement hitting the back of his throat and making him almost gag in the process but also helping him in a less uncomfortable position.

He is doing nothing but blowing him, hands around his waist pushing and pulling as he wishes, letting them travel from his hips to his back and between his cheeks, the memory of the first time they had sex in that hotel room after the wedding still vivid in his mind: he remembers the wine he could taste from his lips, and the view of the street below as he pressed Thara against the glass of the window, two of his fingers inside his ass. That night, no that day had been a game changer in his current life and no matter when or why Thara dropped him in the future, he would have no regrets.

He forces him to detach from his dick and looks at him for a long moment before wiping Thara's mouth and capturing his lips between his own, his hand sneaking in between their bodies and downward, one finger checking how tight he is. He gasps into Frong's mouth and wraps his arms around his neck.

"We're gonna need a lot of lube," he whispers as if he is telling a secret, the words brushing against Thara's lips. 

"Aren't you way too confident?" Thara laughs as he let him go and reminds him that he knows where everything is. Frong pulls away and slaps his butt, then rummages around inside the drawer until he finds what he needs. He wears protection before messing up his hands with a generous amount of oil that he uses to coat Thara's entrance. He giggles when Thara hisses because of the coldness of the liquid first and because his fingers hit his prostate right after only a handful of minutes.

Despite his excitement and his desire to be inside him as soon as he can, Frong takes his time to prepare him, set on making this an event to remember and, more than anything, to repeat because he likes bottoming as much as he likes being on top. He is as organized as he can when it comes to work, but he prefers variety and spontaneity in life. And despite his calm, sometimes ordinary appearance, he knows Thara well enough to be sure he is on the same wave-length. When he thinks he is ready, he pulls out and reaches over to the pillow under Thara's head so he can put it under his back, lifting his bottom to a more suitable height. 

"Tell me if it hurts," he says leaving a peck on his lips before positioning himself at his entrance and slowly forcing his way inside, never taking his eyes off of Thara's face. He doesn't look in pain so he picks up a rhythm, Thara's legs spread wide open, his heels digging into the flesh on the back of his legs. He is touching himself, almost giving gentle caresses to his shaft as if he has all the time in the world, a contrast to Frong's quick thrusts. But that is one of the many traits he likes about the doctor: the way he never seems nervous or rushed, his calm and relaxed look often make him calm down when he feel anxious about something. 

His free hand comes up to brush lightly against Frong's skin, slowly making its way from his firm belly to his chest as Thara's moans increase and his breath becomes more erratic. Frong steadies himself on his arms and slows its pace, choosing to go deeper, a change the doctor likes: his free arm reaches behid his neck, his hand grips tightly Frong's hair as he shuts his eyes and lets out a grunt followed by a curse. Frong leans down enough to leave a couple of kisses on his left shoulder, his collarbone and his chest, and he is stuck in that position when he realizes that Thara's arms are both around him, effectively keeping him so close he can feel his heart beating against his ribcage. He looks up at his face: red cheeks and glassy eyes, his lips open in the shape of a O as the air from his quick pants and moans bounce on his skin. A weird, sudden emotion overcomes him and find himself softly wiping away a beam of sweat from the side of his face, his fingers smoothing out Thara's hair: maybe it's because he looks gorgeous under him, maybe it's because of the way he breathes out his name every time he goes a little deeper inside him but he can't help but lean all the way down to capture his lips in an intense kiss. There is only one thought in his mind in that moment and it is how wonderful it would be if they both came right in that moment: Thara wrapped around all of him, their bodies close as if they were one. He wants their cries of pleasure to be heard by the other only, trapped in their connected mouths, pushed down the other's throat by their tongues. He wants to be held like that, and he wants to hold him like that, making sure he is there, he is tangible and he is real.

From his thoughts to the way they are physically connected to each other, it all feels too intimate. But he doesn't want it any other way, even if it is just for tonight, even if it is a secret he has to keep to himself. And if his doctor catches anything of it, he hopes he will not say a word and ruin the illusion.

"Don't stop." 

Thara's voice is as faint as whisper, the only reason he hears it over his loud breathing being because he almost says it into his ear. He raises, leaving the hot fire of his chest, and decides this it: he momentarily opens his legs wider and gets as close as he can before placing them on his shoulders and hitting his bottom with much more force than before, the sound of his body slamming into Thara's echoing between the four walls of his room. He looks on the edge, probably close to finishing and Frong almost asks him if he wants to ride him, wondering how beautiful he would look while he rocked on top of him. He holds that thought though, keeping it for the next time, and he pushes as he deep as he can, as quick as his body allows him. Thara's deadly grip on his hip brings him back to the moment right in time to see him ride the waves of his orgasm, the spurt of cum landing on his own abs and sliding down his groin. He lets his legs back down and hovers over him, one arm on Thara's side holding his weight up, the other at his neck, not choking him but loosely holding it at his base as he thrusts into him a few more times. Thara is still trying to catch his breath under him but he doesn't seem to mind, too busy feeling him, hands wandering over his torso. It doesn't take too long before he collapses on him, breathing hard against his neck as he push into him until the last drop of left his body. 

He is pulling out when Thara's hands cup his face and bring him down to kiss him softly and once again Frong is overwhelmed by the way he makes him feel when he kisses him like that, or when he looks at him like he just did as he came inside him. He smiles before leaving the bed to clean up and grabs a wet tissue for Thara on his way back. 

"Thanks," he says wiping the remaing traces from their activities and throwing the tissue on the nightstand. "Come here."

Frong has barely had time to wear his boxers when he is pulled back on the bed, Thara wrapping his arms and legs around him, cheek resting on his shoulder as he nuzzles his neck, eyelids already half-closed.

"You liked it," he adds as he yawns. It is statement, not a question so he hums a positive reply.

"Yeah. Did you?"

"I liked it." He opens his eyes and looks up at him. "You never said anything about how we were doing it and I took for granted you were okay with how things were. From now on talk to me more." One more yawn as he scrubs his eyes, hand closed in a fist. He quietly giggles because he is cute and absentmindly doodles abstract lines on his arms as he listen to his non-sense. "Tell me what you like or dislike. Tell me when you want to try something different."

"I'm not the one who has the right to."

"Of course you do. Aren't you here with me? We're equal in this."

He wants to say that no matter what lie he is telling himself or others, they aren't equal. One day he will get tired of this arrangement, or he will find someone he likes for real and he will stop seeing him. Frong is a material good that he bought and will use until it serves its purpose, or until he finds a new one or better one. Then he will be thrown away and replaced. 

But he doesn't say any of that, and silently keeps tracing circles and lines on his skin as he continues.

"You always smell so good," he adds sniffing the hollow of his neck. "And I like having sex with you. We're good."

"Uh huh."

"I'm gonna rest my eyes for five minutes," he says dragging his words, ending with a small smile. "Make it ten. Don't leave. We can watch a movie. Or have sex again."

"Huh."

"Don't leave," he repeats, the grip on his body loosening up as he falls asleep. He sighs and looks down at his very peaceful and still very naked sleeping form, then carefully untangles himself from the deadly cage of his arms and legs, and makes him roll over to the other side of the bed before pulling up the comforter. While they had dinner he had told him he still has to clock in tomorrow morning: not only he had worked the whole week and the whole weekend in China, but he didn't even get a half day off to rest. The fact he has fallen asleep so quickly being proof of how tired he really was. He gets dressed and sets his alarm so he won't oversleep before heading to the living room to pick up the windbreaker he had left on the couch when he first arrived several hours before. An envelope falls and he knows right away that it is his money. As usual he puts it back inside his pocket without checking the content and mutters a thank you to no one before turning off all the lights and closing the door to Thara's apartment behind his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Given the sexy content of the chapter, this comment section is for the brave only! I'll see everyone else in chapter eighteen :D


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thara reads their conversation again after he has parked his bike right outside the small restaurant and nervously walks in. Wedding date aside, it's the first time they see each other in a public place.

**THARA**

  
_Thara: "What are you up to? Have you had lunch yet?"_  
_Frong: "Not yet. Just left the gym and omwh"_  
_Thara:"Wanna grab something to eat then? There's a place near the hospital."_  
_Thara: "Just a quick meal, nothing else. It's on me. I don't feel like eating the cafeteria's food today."_  
_Frong: "Ok. Send me the address."_

Thara reads their conversation again after he has parked his bike right outside the small restaurant and nervously walks in. Wedding date aside, it's the first time they see each other in a public place since they have started this deal? Arrangement? He wishes he could give their relationship a definition that is one hundred percent different from what they actually are but he would rather not dwell on that, at least for now. What he knows is that between the walls of his house they have a routine and they are comfortable, whereas _this_ feels very unfamiliar and he hopes it won't end up being a sort of awkward date, especially since it was his own idea. The last time he tried to have a somewhat normal night and asked Frong to stay while he rested a few minutes, he had woken up to an empty house, the used condom in the trash the only proof that he had been there. It didn't surprise him that much because Frong had made it clear months before that he wouldn't sleep over at his place, one of the many rules he had when it came to his job: one that he found ridiculous, since he slept with clients whenever they booked him for weekends out of town.

Sometimes he wondered if he should do that too: take him away for a few days and stay together the whole time like a couple. But wouldn't that make his delusion grow further? Having a good time, walking around holding hands, maybe kissing, and then sleeping with him and waking up next to him: would it make it harder to go back to the reality where he had only rented a boyfriend, one he truly liked, just to let him go after twenty-four hours? 

Hours together to turn into days, seldom messages to turn into long calls or video-calls, meaningless sex to turn into love-making were what he wished for: the more time he spent with him, the more he wanted to keep him for himself. Merely a few minutes before his lunch break he had realized that it was just a Monday, which meant three more days until he could see him: pretty much an eternity in his book. He must have been very desperate to find the courage to invite him to eat together. Of course he had the money ready to pay him for his time, but he had also wondered: what if they ran into one of his clients? Or one of his collegues? Would everyone know what he had been doing? He didn't care too much about being judged but he didn't want his patients to suffer for his personal choices and he really hoped that his relationship with Frong, whatever it was, wouldn't be a problem when it came to his job.

It was supposed to be a one time thing for the wedding only. And then it was supposed to be only one hookup. But he couldn't stop and he knew why: the smell of Frong's perfume was intoxicating, and since they started doing it at his place it lingered on the sheets, on the pillow cases and in the air for hours after he had left. It was addicting and he was bewitched: that was the only plausible reason why he couldn't get enough of him and barely went through the whole week counting down the days until he could see him again.

They texted sometimes but he had been trying his best not to be suffocating or too much of a bother. Occasionally he would send Frong pics of a particularily beautiful sunset as he rode back home or to the hospital, or candid shots of Cupcake when she did something funny. He had noticed that he liked spending time with her, he would barely greet him before going straight to her room and occasionally he even came to his place earlier than scheduled just to play with her, using the excuse that he had nothing else to do "and I figured you wouldn't mind". And he didn't. He actually found him so adorable when he said that the first time that he had to stop himself from peppering his face with small kisses. That is how whipped he has become and he hates having a one-sided crush on someone who knows of his existence only because his name is jotted down as a recurring weekly engagement on his calendar.

He spots him right away, the most beautiful man in the whole place. Hair still damp and strands falling messily on is forehead, his gaze is focused on the road on the other side of the window as he absentmindly plays with his sunglasses. Even from afar Thara notices that something is off: he looks pensive and almost sad, and it is the first time he catches him like that.

"Have you been waiting long?" he asks sitting down and offering him a smile. Frong turns to him, the corners of his lips briefly curving up.

"Just a few minutes."

They order right away, the duration of his break not allowing him to spend too much time leasurely eating out. Frong makes conversation but he is not himself: he mostly asks him questions and keeps quiet as he replies. After a few minutes he decides to be bold and ask him what is wrong, even if he might get shut up for prying into his personal life. Because no matter much close he feels to him when they have sex, or when they share a meal late at night in the quiet of his home, or when they chitchat about nothing at all as Frong sits on the floor of his living room and plays with his pet which he has started colling "his girl", they are still strangers bonded by a contract.

"Not much, really," he tells him sipping his iced tea and trying not to make eye-contact. "I just ran into somebody I used to go to school with and it wasn't pleasant."

"You want to talk about it?"

Frong finally lifts his gaze on him, his face half surprised as he shakes his head. "I'd rather not bore you with my drama."

"You never bore me," he says hoping he will understand that he means every word. "I like listening to you no matter what you talk about. The not so good stuff too."

Frong looks at him with fondness, or so he thinks because Thara knows that he is doing his best to keep a certain distance. Sometimes he would catch him glancing at him like he cares, but that specific sweet look would be gone in a moment and he would be left wondering if he had imagined it.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm sorry: it was unexpected and I let it get to me." He sees the exact moment Frong puts his mask on and smiles at him, and he can't do anything but nod and leave him be. "Let's talk about something else."

So that's what he does: he shows him a few pictures of his lizard as she poses on top the cave Frong bought for her weeks before and tells him about thinking of getting a new terrarium, something bigger and with more decorations so she can have extra space to play. And he tells him about the past weekend when he stopped by his aunt's house to leave a few boxes in place of his mom and had met Duen and his friend Ram, both present to solve a dramatic situation: his sister's Daonua first boyfriend who was sitting on the couch while they tried to intimidate him with the usual threats. When he says that the guy's unbothered attitude almost made Duen break down and cry, Frong finally laughs for the first time, and Thara is glad that he was able to make him feel better even if just for a mere seconds.

Half-hour later he is walking him to his car, bike in tow. He takes out a few bills from his wallet and hands them out to him, but Frong stops him. 

"This wasn't work," he says shaking his head. "We barely spent time together and I wasn't the best company. I can't take the money. You payed for lunch: it's more than enough."

Thara nods, putting the cash away. "I'm sorry I insisted when you weren't feeling okay."

"Not at all. You distracted me and I actually feel less troubled now. So thank you," Frong says leaning in to kiss his cheek before wearing his sunglasses and looking away. Thara is speechless for a second because of the unexpected display of affection. "So, see you on Thursday?"

Thara mumbles a "yeah" as he watches him getting in the driver seat and leaving. And when the car is gone he smiles to himself all the way to the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure I have the best readers: thank you so much for your comments and the generous amount of insights! You guys inspire me and also show me my shortcomings, and to be honest I couldn't ask for more. I hope you'll stay with me until the end of this journey!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He points the red laser beam on the floor right in front of her and laughs as Cupcake tries to catch the red spot with her paw before he makes it disappear and appear again a couple of inches from her side. They have been playing for a few minutes, giving her a few salad leaves as a treat every time he lets her touch the led light helped him get to the conclusive stage of the process of bonding. He might not have her full trust yet but he is definitely close, right behind her Daddy Doctor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It took me longer than I expected because work sucks all the eneries out of me. Also, I kept adding stuff to the chapter as I edited it and it turned out twice as long as the usual chapters are. And when I realized it I didnt feel like splitting it into two was right: Frong and Thara had stuff to say so I let them talk as much as they wanted.  
> Also, I know nothing about Thara's parents so that part of the story is 100% made up.
> 
> Enjoy the calm before the storm! *sips tea*

**FRONG**

  
He points the red laser beam on the floor right in front of her and laughs as Cupcake tries to catch the red spot with her paw before he makes it disappear and appear again a couple of inches from her side. They have been playing for a few minutes, giving her a few salad leaves as a treat every time he lets her touch the led light helped him get to the conclusive stage of the process of bonding. He might not have her full trust yet but he is definitely close, right behind her Daddy Doctor. 

"C'mon, let's watch some tv," he says scooping her up in his hands, one under her front legs and the other under the ones in the back, just like he had been taught. He lays her on the pillow he was sitting on, the warmth from his body making it the perfect resting spot for at least a few minutes; he carefully picks it up and places it on couch before sitting next to it and turning on the television. He doesn't really want to watch anything, but she likes the colored lights coming from the screen. Sometimes he would sit in front of her terrarium, back on her, and play on Thara's tablet while she watches the flashing of lights with her nose plastered against the glass.

It is a Sunday afternoon, not a Thursday night. And they had no appointments scheduled, but he was bored at home so he had texted Thara to know if he could go to his place and hang out with Cupcake. Having lunch together a few weeks before somehow had tear down a barrier between the two of them: he knew he shouldn't get close like that to a client but Kao was always working on weekends, and his other friends were either working or in relationships, and sometimes he felt lonely. Thara had been friendly all along and he had ended up texting him first every now and then, or bringing food over instead of making him buy it all the time. Besides it is not the first time he gets on friendly terms with a client: he has a great relationship with a couple of the oldest ones who had become regulars. They don't go too deep but they do talk about personal stuff sometimes. It is not an issue as long as he stays within the boundaries, although at times he feels that the line he shouldn't cross gets more and more blurry week after week.

He picks up his phone and scrolls quickly down the boring posts on Instagram: food, couple pictures, food, a few people playing at the beach, more food. He shouldn't complain since he barely uploads anything either but it really seems like none of his friends do anything fun or interesting enough. Maybe he should follow new accounts. Maybe he should make new friends. 

He takes a look at Thara's profile, his new additions being the same pictures he has sent him on Line. His life is pretty boring too: except for working and spending time with his pet, he doesn't seem to do much. Testament being the fact that he called him at the last minute on his day off to go to his place and he had nothing planned. He looks up from his phone and watches him as he sits at the table, a book spread in front of him and a cup of tea probably gone cold: he hasn't moved from there since he arrived almost one hour ago, apparently not bothered by the noise he made while playing with Cupcake on the floor.

"Is this what you usually do on Sundays?" he asks, curious. Thara turns his way, confused for a moment as he shifts his focus from the written words in front of him.

"It depends. Most of the times I do some housechores in the morning then have lunch at my parents' house. Sunday afternoons are usually to get some work done and either relax like this. Sometimes I catch up with friends but I'd rather have this little free time to myself."

"You're like an old man."

"That's not what you were saying the other night when I had you bent over this very table," he says back, eyebrow raised and smirk on his lips as he taps on the dark grey surface. Frong laughs, knowing exactly he was referring to the steamy session that made them climax three times in three different rooms over the span of a few hours. Face pressed on the flat surface of the table, he had no qualms in confessing nobody ever dicked him down like that and that if he kept working him out to the point he was left with no strenght in his legs by the end of the night, he might have to increase his rate just for him. Thara had laughed from behind him, said he wouldn't mind before leaving a quick kiss between his shoulder-blades and disappearing into the bathroom to clean up. Needless to say he had been left breathless as he kept lying on the table not trusting his weak limbs to hold up his weight.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replies feigning ignorance. "You were probably dreaming."

"Or maybe you're the one getting older because you're definitely forgetting things."

"Thank you, P'Doctor. But I'm more than okay."

"I recommand the assumption of vitamins," he teased him. "Or I can refresh your memory and show you exactly how it happened."

"Save your energies for your scheduled appointment, old man."

Thara gives him a mocking wai in apology, a small smile hidden behind his hands. "So what about you? What do you usually do on your days off?"

Frong leans back on the couch, getting more comfortable while he thinks about it: "I sleep in, hit the gym, relax. Watch sports with Kao when he is free, or get some reading done."

"Reading? What kind of books?"

"Business related stuff," he says shyly.

"Oh. Like essays on business?"

"Yeah, and textbooks. College textbooks."

He pauses, pondering if he should find a way to move the conversation to a different topic: aware that Thara is a nerd and loves reading he should have guessed that he might have wanted to know more. What he had just revealed is very personal, and he is usually more careful than that when it comes to his private life. But it's not like he just let him on a secret: there are a few details of his life that he never told him but he probably knew already as he was perceptive enough to pick up the clues here and there. Or Duen could have told him, that is if he was someone worth mentioning in their conversations. 

When he lifts his gaze, Thara is looking at him in silence, not judging, not making fun of a college drop-out doing homeworks on his Sunday afternoons. He has been keeping stuff to himself for so long that the way Thara attention is on him, eyes soft and hand under a cheek while he patiently waits for him to add something, makes him want to spill everything and let him in, like a real friend. 

"I dropped out of college at the end of my third year," he says staring at his shoes for a moment. He is not ashamed of his past, nor is he ashamed of his present. But giving up at the time had been the most painful decision he had ever made. He didn't regret doing it but he regretted reaching the point where he had no other possibility. He had always studied his ass off and worked part-time not to weight too much on the household expenses but when the hard times hit, he had realized it had all been for nothing. "My mom passed away the year before and we had... troubles. I needed money, and studying and working enough hours was tough."

"So you made a choice."

"Yeah. We had a big debt but I was able to pay for most of it. Not just me, my brothers too. And I wanted to buy back our flower shop," he says remembering all the times between classes or before school when he would help his mom and P'First, albeit reluctantly. "It was my mom's but we lost it to the bank. I got it back not long ago though. I rented it for now so somebody else is using it until I am done with my plan."

"What is it?"

"I'm saving up for school," he says almost proudly. Thara is the first person he tells all of this beside Kao. Not even his family knows, an information he witheld in case he doesn't succeed. "Once I have enough to live peacefully and without having to worry about money for a couple of years I'm going back and graduate. I'm actually less than a year away from my goal."

"Why don't you ask for a loan instead of letting so much time pass?"

"And be in debt again? No way."

Thara looks pensive and Frong knows exactly what he is thinking because a couple of his clients already made a similar proposition to him in the past but he never accepted. They would offer him money to stop working as long as he did exclusively for them, and it had sounded very tempting a few times, except it would have meant being bound to them and to the profession indefintely. And he didn't want that: he wanted to get over this nightmare and be free to go on with his life as it was suppposed to be before he lost his mom.

"What if I lend you the amount you need? You can pay me back after graduation when you have a job. No pressure."

"Thanks but no thanks," he replies, not at all surprised. "I'm alone, and I need to do stuff on my own now. Even if it takes longer than I expected, I'm going to do everything I had planned for myself and I will do it with my strenght and my resources. I know I can do it. At this point I'm pretty sure I can overcome all the crap thrown my way."

"Are you sure? That's very brave of you."

He nods and he is glad to see Thara took no offence for his rejection but he is actually smiling at him, a hint of pride on his full, gorgeous lips. The sun coming from the window on his side showers him in sparkling light making him look almost ethereal. He has found Thara very attractive since the first time he had laid eyes on him, but in that moment he feels something completely different at the pit of his stomach and he is reminded of that time when he was fifteen and his crush held his hand for the first time: he felt the butterflies and they made him sick but he also knew that something beautiful was happening. Was this the same? It felt like that and he only had Thara to blame for his boyfriend-like behavior that confused him all the time to the point he had to remind himself that they were client and hooker, nothing else.

"Hey, I'm curious though," he says chasing away those crazy thoughts and focusing on the real type of relationship they had. "I know doctors make good money but how much exactly? Enough to pay me that much every month? You must be extremely rich."

"My parents are. My mom, actually."

"Your mom?"

"Yeah, she comes from a well-off family. My grandpa had a successful business and she was his sole heir when he passed. But she was never interested in it so she sold the company and donated most of the profits. But my grandpa had set up a trust fund for me and it helped a lot with my studies and travelling, and this place."

"What about your dad?"

"He used to be an architect."

"He retired already?

"He died when I was a senior in highschool," he says, a sad smile on his face. "It happened a long time ago. He was sick. Cancer."

"Like my mom," his voice was low but Thara hears him anyway and nods. Weird coincidence that both their parents would die of the same illness, probably around the same time since Thara and him had only a few years of age difference. "Is that why you have become an oncologist?"

"Not really. I even used to hate coming to the hospital. Do you know of the International society of doctors for the environment? Their main purpose is to help defend our environment both globally and locally to prevent illnesses, ensure the necessary conditions for health and improve the quality of life. We don't have that kind of association in Thailand and I wanted to create one with similar goals: the safeguard of the health of our generation and future ones through the care of the environment we live in."

"Everyone says you are an environmental freak, I see you've been like that for a long time," he mocks him receiving a stern look in return, one that doesn't scare him at all.

"I'm not a freak. I'm just conscious of the situation and do my best to treat our earth better."

"Ok, ok, Mr. Freak," he laughs eyeing Cupcake as she leaves her pillow and climbs his arm to get on his chest. She looks around a couple of times before making herself comfortable right on his heart, face back to the television. "So what happened?"

"I was at the hospital waiting for one of my dad's visits to be over and I met a guy. He was a few years younger than me and had been sick for a while. Eventually he died too, but we were friends for almost six months."

He feels a lump in his throat and barely swallows at the thought of a teenager dying so young. Even though it is quite clear to him that Thara's job is with children who suffer from cancer, he never really thought exactly about what he has to face every day. 

"Did you like him?"

"No, not like that. Somehow we became good friends: he could relate and understand my situation, and incredibily cheered me up so often you'd think he was the healthy one, not me. He helped me understand my father too and taught me how to deal with his imminent death. Both their deaths. He knew he wouldn't make it."

Frong stares at him as he reminscence of those old days, expecting him to be a lot more sad because that's how he gets when he thinks of his mom: he misses her, and hates her cancer for taking her away from him. He is still mad and hurt, and often ends up crying to sleep. On the other hand Thara looks calm, his expression longing but serene while he talks about losing not one but two important people over the span of a very short time. He wishes somebody had taught him to deal with it too, so he could look like that whenever a memory of his mother makes its way in his mind. 

"He had introduced me to the other kids, many of them were really young. And I don't know... I guess I thought maybe whatever difference or change in the world I wanted to make, I could start from there. It felt right, like Ohm crossed my path for a reason."

Frong's eyes rest on him as they look at each other from opposite sides of the room. He aspires to that level of inner peace, but at the same time he can see a tiny bit of vulnerability in the way he has shifted his position a couple of times as he told his story. He wants to tell him he had it tough too, that he was brave as well. Braver than him. He wants to get closer to pat his shoulder, maybe squeeze him in a bear hug because the man definitely deserves one for being the selfless person that he is, for thinking about others before himself, for putting a dream aside at such young age because even if he didn't say it, all that pain he witnessed and the suffering he had to endure changed him. If he could he would kiss all those sad memories away. 

But he can't. Because Cupcake is on his chest, making it impossible for him to move. And mostly because he has no right to, even though Thara is still looking at him and his face is starting to feel on fire.

"Hey, does she like water?" he asks looking away and focusing their attention on the lizard on his body. " I read that some like swimming in pools. We can make one, or let her swim in a basin or something."

"Sure, you guys can have your pool party next time."

Thara ends his sentence with a small laugh, followed by the whoosh of a page being turned over, a sign that he went back to his book. Frong looks down at Cupcake and smirks because on Thursday her Daddy Doctor would come home to his baby skinny dipping while he lounges on the side wearing nothing but his boxers. Or nothing at all. Because that's what he can do for him, and he definitely will.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He takes one more sip of his drink, the dry white wine almost scratching his throat. It is his fourth glass, or maybe the fifth? He lost track, but this party is boring as fuck and there is nothing he can do but drink while his date mingles with the guests.

**FRONG**

  
He takes one more sip of his drink, the dry white wine almost scratching his throat. It is his fourth glass, or maybe the fifth? He lost track, but this party is boring as fuck and there is nothing he can do but drink while his date mingles with the guests. The _birthday boy_ is a very wealthy old geezer he was briefly introduced to when they arrived a little over one hour before and he can sees him from where he is standing as he pretends to be interested in what his guests are telling him, bowing in thanks whenever a new person appears in front of him to congratulate him on his 68th birthday. Beside himself, he seems to be to most bored person in that room: a detail that kinda makes him like him.

His client is his secretary: a workaholic woman in her mid-thirties who does nothing but work and claims to have no time nor interest in dating. It is the second time she hires him over the span of a few months and he finds her as unsufferable and full of herself as the first. He knows she makes use of other escorts too, she boasted about that on their way when she literally made a list of who she appreciated most and why. Apparently he left a decent impression on her because he is in the top three. Not that he cares since there won't be a next time: he would rather lose money than be ranked for his sexual favors. She had ruined his night since the very start but he had decided to stay only because he wanted to try the famous wangyu beef, and _Mezzaluna_ is not only famous for that exquisite dish but also has two Michelin stars. 

Apparently he was being punished for his gluttony as the night got worse when he noticed Thara among the guests and learned the old geezer is famous for being a huge investor of dozens of charities and research projects, P'Doctor's hospital, and consequently his works, being one of the many receipients of his donations. They acknowledged the other's presence with a mere nod and he had made himself looking busy when at first he had seen him starting to walk in his direction. He had pretended not to notice Thara's hurt expression but he did it for his sake because there was no need for everyone in his circle to catch them together.

He sees Apple, that's her name, gesturing excitedly as she speaks to a few men in their expensive suits, and he decides to stop by the bar to say hi to Tap the bartender aka his bestfriend of the night. He sits on a stool and asks for one more glass, His mind hazy, he doesn't notice someone sitting next to him.

"You're gonna feel sick if you keep that up."

He turns to the side to see Thara, gorgeous in his pale blue shirt and dark pants, somehow able to look better than anyone despite his very simple look. He sighs, both bothered and relieved to be close to him enough to talk. 

"Isn't this party so boring, or is it just me?" he asks nodding at Tap as more wine appears in front of him. Thara laughs and Frong looks at him, the sound beautiful to his ears. 

He must be really drunk.

"It's not you," he says, voice low as if he is telling him a secret. "I'm staying out of obligation but I'd rather be in bed right now."

"On a normal circumstance I'd say that's because you're an old man," he smiles. "Your bed really doesn't get to see enough action," he tilts his head and ends with a wink. "Such a shame."

Thara smiles back and Frong feels dizzy, the same way he felt a few weeks before when he showed up at his place to play with Cupcake, and the same way he had been feeling for a while every time he sees him, thinks about him or gets one of his damned good morning texts with pictures of pretty sunrises attached. 

He knows what's going on with himself and he hates it, because Thara is not just a random guy and he can't feel like that for him.

"Come home with me then."

"Can't," he replies pointing to Apple who chooses that moment to look his way and starts walking towards them. "I'm on duty."

"Oh, hon! You must be bored out of your wits!" she says dramatically when she stands next to him. She takes his glass and drinks from it, one hand on his inner thigh, so close to his dick that she could palm him directly. He covers her hand with his and pushes it down a notch as he puts on a smile as she continues.

"There are so many people I absolutely have to talk to."

"Sure, go ahead. You'll find me here with my friend Tap," he replies looking at the guy behind the counter. She barely acknowledges him before turning to Thara.

"Doctor! I'm glad you made it!"

"Thank you for inviting me, of course I wouldn't have missed it."

Frong hides his smile behind the glass that made its way back to him as Thara turns his charms on and engange in small talk with Apple.

"I know how busy you are. I'm sure Khun Lardchaikittipisal was ecstatic to see you! How rude of me: did I interrupt your conversation? Do you know each other?"

He doesn't give Thara the time to reply before denying it: "We don't. We just happened to exchange a few words while I waited for my drink."

"Of course you wouldn't know him. He is the best doctor and researcher in Bangkok, maybe in the whole country. And the youngest too! An absolute elite!"

"Really?" he asks, pretending to be shocked.

"You're exaggerating. I'm really not that good," Thara says, the tip of ears growing pinker. Frong lets out a chuckle while Apple keeps praising him, set on letting everyone in the vicinity know how much of genius his P'Doctor is.

"Sure you are. Not only you are incredibily talented and smart, but exquisitely dedicated too. I heard that last week you brought plushies, board games and new books for the patients of the pediatric ward: the children were happy with their new toys, and their families were delighted to see them play with so much excitement!"

He is reminded of the mountain of boxes he saw the week before in Cupcake's room but he didn't get to ask what was in them. He lets himself smile both because Thara looks like he is dying of embarassment and because it is such a waste that a man like him doesn't have anyone to appreciate him the way he deserves.

"When he was an intern he used to give care packages to his patients," Apple continues, her attention now on him. "One of the head-nurses told me ages ago. Informative pamphlets on their condition and a small bouquet of flowers. Jasmine, right?"

Thara nods and Frong thinks that there's something familiar about what she just said, a vague memory of flowers sitting on the small table next his mom's hospital bed. He is not sure about the type of flower, if those were jasmines or not. They were still running her shop at the time and most likely P'First brought her some to make her feel better since she loved her flowers so much.

"It wasn't a big deal."

Thara's words feel distant as he shakes away the images of his mother in her hospital gown, her body frail and small enveloped by the sea of white sheets and white lights. He takes another sip of his wine, but the glass is empty and Tap nowhere to be seen.

"Any amount of money we donate lacks compared to your compassion! Anyway I'll call you in the next few days to set an appointment with Khun Lardchaikittipisal. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you in private about your current and future projects."

"I'll wait for your call." 

As she is about to finally leave, Apple gets closer to him, her lips less than a couple of inches away from her ear. 

"Don't get too carried away with that," she whispers looking at the empty glass in his hand. "I have plans for later."

She doesn't wait for an answer and walks quickly towards the crowd, her voice loud enough for him to hear it despite the distance and the noise. He found her annoying the first time, but now he can barely stand her. He will have to make a huge effort to get through the rest of the night.

"Bitch," he mutters while he takes a random bottle left on the counter by the bartender and fills his glass. He sniffs the content and guesses it is a whiskey, the strong smell of alcohol making him slightly nauseous. Or maybe that's caused by all the wine he has drunk so far. "I should get a coffee instead," he says to no one.

"Why? So you can be alert enough to fuck her?"

When he turns around, Thara wears a weird expressionon his face, one he has never seen before. 

He looks pissed.

"What?"

"That's your client for tonight. And you are not just her date to this party."

He says it all as a matter of fact, the tone of his voice different from how it usually sounds to his ears. He can't find any traces of the usual softness, nor does he hear the mocking tone sometimes he uses to get a reaction out of him. 

"What if I am not?"

"Are you gonna sleep with her?"

Something is wrong with him, and Frong sobers up when out of the corner of his eye he sees one of the guests looking their way. 

"Keep it down, will you?"

"Don't. Get your ass out of here and come home with me," is what Thara says, completely ignoring his request. "How much is she paying you? I'll pay you double."

Suddenly his head starts to spin, and it isn't pleasurable at all. He thinks he wants to throw up and maybe blackout so he can forget what he just heard coming out from the mouth of the only person he thought would never say something like that. "Excuse me?"

"I said, come with me."

"Because you'll pay me more?" he asks standing up, his balance slightly off to the point he has to grab the counter with his hands to steady himself.

"I'm saying this because I obviously care more. She doesn't give a damn about you."

"How can you say that? How is your caring different?" he keeps asking, getting angrier by the second. "Don't you pay me for the same reason as her?"

He is not blind, he can see that for some reason Thara seems frantic as he tries to hold his hand and stop him from leaving him there. He is overstepping the boundaries of their relationship, trying to buy him off, steal him from another client. He thought he knew him, and didn't expect that kind of behavior. He wonders if he missed something, if he had said or done something that made Thara think he could act like that towards him.

The night has turned out to be the worst in a while: first he got his dick ranked by the bitch, then she bossed him around as if he is a sort of slave of hers. And now Thara thinks he can bid on him and he would follow him anywhere. What's wrong with these people? He wishes he hadn't drunk that much so he could spit coherent sentences to his face.

"I don't treat you like she does," Thara adds standing up as well, hand holding his hidden behind his body.

He looks straight into his eyes as he slaps it away. He has enough of him, and them, and everyone. He is getting his time back, reimburse the bitch and go home to sleep the night away and hopefully forget about all of them.

"You just fucking did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never shoot the messenger!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So he sits in his kitchen, their dinner for two still in plastic bags sitting on the table, and waits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of Frong being dumb and Thara being dumber. See you all in the notes at the end of the chapter and as usual I'm more than willing to discuss with you in the comments!

**THARA**

  
It's Thursday.

He had gotten home earlier, hoping to find Frong playing on the floor with Cupcake while they waited for him to come back. Instead he had stepped into a silent home, his lizard alone in her room and no one else in sight.

In the past three days since the last time he saw him at the party, Frong never pickup up the phone when he called him nor he replied to his texts except for the one he sent him the night before. He had asked if they were still on for today, the reply he received being just a monosyllabic _yes_.  
So he sits in his kitchen, their dinner for two still in plastic bags sitting on the table, and waits. Nervously looking at the time, he realizes he is a couple of minutes late. Not that it matters, as long as he comes; he would wait hours if it meant that they are okay. He must have lost his mind that night, but he couldn't help it: seeing her hands on him, watching the way she talked to him had made his blood boil. He clearly stopped thinking and messed up, possibily ruining something before it even start. Something that exists only in his head.

The beeping sound of the code being punched almost echoes in the shallow silence of his apartment and he finally feels he can breath again when he sees the door opening. Frong lets himself in and he follows him with his eyes as he takes off his white hoodie, GAME OVER in bold black letters printed on the bad, and leaves it on the couch. He doesn't say much, and Thara is aware that he should take this chance to apologize and make things right again.

"Dinner's ready," he says, pointing to the bags of food in the kitchen. Frong gives them a quick glance before informing him that he is not hungry. He is about to suggest making tea or having a beer when he feels a dead strong grasp on his hand and gets dragged into his bedroom. It happens so quickly that he barely has time to realize that not only they are skipping dinner but also their usual forplay: his top is on the floor in seconds, promptly followed by the rest of his clothes. Frong takes off his shirt as he gets on his knees and sucks him. 

"Frong?" 

"Shush," is everything he says from his position. Thara hasn't even jerked off in the past few days, his mind too preoccupied with thoughts of their ugly discussion, the worry over their lack of communication leaving no space for self-gratification. And that's why he feels the pleasure travelling down below almost right away, his shaft quickly hardening under the touch of Frong's mouth and tongue. When he looks downward he sees he has unzipped his jeans and he is stroking himself as his head bobs up and down his length. He stares at him, raptured by his flawless movements, relieved now that he can feel the warmth coming from his body: even though they had sex only one week ago as usual, knowing they were fighting made him miss him more: he longs for his touch and wants to kiss him or at least hold him. But despite the fact that Frong is right there in front of him, he also feels very far away: his mind is telling him that something is still wrong but his body needs something different.

When Frong finally stands up he tries to seize his chance and hold him by his arms, leaning in to place a soft peck on his lips. Frong kisses him back for a few seconds, then clutches his face between his hands and looks at him straight in the eyes. Thara shivers a little when he realizes what is going on, the excitement taking over before Frong can say the words.

"Since you liked it so much the last time," he whispers, his warm breath delicately grazing his lips. "I'm fucking you tonight. Is that okay?"

He doesn't have to be told twice. He nods and kneels down on the bed in a second, chest brushing the mattress and ass up in the air as he waits. He hears him going through his drawer, he hears the sound of the package of the condom being ripped, he hears the popping sound of the cap of the bottle of lube being opened. He decides tonight Frong can have things his way as long as it placates his anger. He won't complain, he won't push him to talk if he doesn't want that. He is giving him his body and hopes it will be enough of an apology, or at least the start of one.

Wet fingers trace his contour before pushing. He can feel the liquid inside and outside, and he knows he is being generous with the amount he is using because a cold trickle of lube slowly rolls down his thigh, probably ending its run on the comforter. Then he is inside him, Frong's hands on his hips pushing and pulling a few times before he lays his whole body on his: Frong's chest against his back, his forehead on his shoulder. He supports his weight enough so he can move inside him, the friction of their skin raising his temperature. Several grunts fill his ears and he tries to turn his head, hoping to get at least a glimpse of his face but with no success because he keeps hiding between his shoulder blades. A particularly delicious thrust distracts him, his moans louder than any other sound they have made so far, and suddenly he feels the loss of warmth and weight as Frong goes back to his initial position behind him. Thara gets on his knees to help him and the pleasure starts clouding his mind when Frong slams harder and deeper into him. He lift himself, Frong's arm circling his waist and keeping him up, palm flat on his sternum, his other hand reaching out to his cock. Thara puts his arm behind him and grasps Frong's nape, their busts alligned again, making him feel like they are once again on the same page.

The stimulation from all the sides, Frong's body and smell everywhere around him make his orgasm come fast and before he knows it he is crying out Frong's name, semen spilling on the sheets while he bends down again to catch his breath. He turns around when he feels the loss, his back empty, and gets ready to take him into his mouth to reprocicate the favor. But instead of smirking as he waits for him to give heads, Thara sees him picking up his shirt from the floor.   
He didn't notice before but he never even took off his jeans. He has a very bad feeling and clenches the sheets tight in his fingers as he tries not ignore the fact that something is terribly worng.

"What are you doing?"

"Going home," Frong answers, his voice tired or cold or both, as if that is what he always do after they have sex. "We're done here."

"You didn't even come."

There is a moment of silence during which he finally looks up at him and lets out a small laugh that gives him the chills because his eyes look detached, almost as dead as those at the morgue: they lack of their usual warmth, in its place a dark brown veil of emptiness.

"I'm not required to. I'm getting paid to make you come, remember? And I did. My job is done."

He quickly puts his clothes on as Frong makes his way out of the bedroom, then stops him before he leaves. 

"I'm sorry," he blurts out. "I really am."

"What are you sorry about?"

"I didn't handle it well but I swear I was trying to be considerate of you," he says remembering her hand on his leg, way too close to his crotch. She had clearly seen that they were talking, that they weren't alone, but she still grabbed him like that in public. He also can't help but think at the way she talked to him, as if someone like him couldn't know a mere doctor, as if he was nothing but a slave waiting fir her to be free and have her fun with him. "The way she treated you-" 

"No, Thara," Frong says, and it is the first time he calls him by his name. "You were bidding on my dick behind somebody's back, sure you'd get your toy. She might have been a bitch but she was my problem to deal with, not yours."

"I'm not going to apologize for not wanting to share you," he tells him as a matter of fact. He can hear the arrogance in his own voice, and Frong hears it too because he goes stiff before delivering his next questions.

"So not only I'm your slut but also your possession? Since when?"

He wishes he could stop talking but is it really so bad that he doesn't want him to be with somebody else? He has feelings and seeing Frong with another woman made him see red. Was he supposed to be okay as he imagined them having sex, Frong on top of her like he did with him? Was he supposed to be okay as he imagined them cuddling in bed, sweaty and satisfied? Did she have a pet? Would he be playing with it? Was he going to spend the whole night and sleep with her, something he had never done with him no matter how many times he asked?

Their conversation is driving him crazy, evey words coming out from his mouth doesn't seem to be right or Frong keeps taking it the wrong way: he doesn't seem to understand him and it's irritating him. He usually is quite laid-back when it comes to relationships, but with him he is constantly on edge, every day afraid he would slip from his fingers. So he acts like an idiot and messes it up even more, regretting his words as soon as he voices them out.

"I fucking pay you!"

There's a moment of silence, they both stay still and he can do nothing but watch Frong's wide eyes becoming red and wet with tears that he refuses to let fall. He takes a step forward but he takes one back, holding his hand out to keep him from getting closer as his lips morph into a scary grimace, an eery sneer sharply breaking the quiet of the living room. This is how being in a horror movie must be like and Thara almost wishes for someody to stop it and play it from the beginning so he can do it over. Instead he stays rooted to the spot, a knife piercing his heart as he witness how much he just hurt the one person he cares about. 

"The truth is out," Frong is doing his best to look detached and confident but he chokes on his words. 

He did that to him.

"No, I don't. Listen to me," he say getting close enough to out a hand on his shoulder, relieved he isn't backing away. "I saw her and I got jealous, and I said and keep saying shit I don't mean because I'm an idiot and I can't seem to make myself understood!"

"What?"

"I like you, and I was jealous," he repeats, glad he is finally responding and not rejecting whatever he says. "I didn't want you to be with her and I said something stupid to make you stay."

"If you had said that I might have have come up with an excuse and left her." Frong says, a bitter smile on his lips as he chooses the words he would say next. "But you thought I wouldn't unless you paid me."

"That's not-"

"That's how you think of me. This is how much I'm worth to you: fifteen thousand. Well, thirty thousand, since you offered to pay double. Maybe you also think I should feel lucky."

"Please, let's sit down and talk calmly, ok? Let's start again from the beginning so I can try to mend this mess I made with my poor words choices."

"I have to go," Frong looks resigned as he picks up his hoodie from the couch and wears it. "No need to pay for today, take it as my parting gift."

He helplessly watches as he walks the few steps separating him from the door, his hand stopping on the handle for a moment. 

"Consider all your appointments cancelled. And don't call me ever again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started planning this story, the stuff you see happening in this chapter is exactly what I imagined first: not the lovey dovey scenes, not the initial chapters when they meet. I saw them having this conversation, Thara pretty much telling him he owns him since he pays him -even if he didn't mean it, and Frong leaving him. As I got closer to updating this chapter I wondered if I should actually go there and make Thara say those words: I love him and I don't want you to hate him. But despite his perfect doctor appearance, he is deeply flawed and not just in the oh, he is a weirdo kind of way. His jealousy and his feelings got the best of him, we can guess he has abandonment issues -his most important boyfriend left him to marry a woman- and we often say shit we don't mean when we fight. So before anything, think about where he is coming from.
> 
> That said, he was still wrong but Frong will judge if he should be forgiven or not.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One week later and he is still mad. 
> 
> Thara is supposed to be just another client, one of the stupid ones apparently, and one he shouldn't give a damn about. 
> 
> But it's been seven days since that night and he is still thinking about it. And him.

**FRONG**

  
One week later and he is still mad. 

  
Thara is supposed to be just another client, one of the stupid ones apparently, and one he shouldn't give a damn about. 

But it's been seven days since that night and he is still thinking about it. And him. And seeing his name on the calendar as his appointment for tonight is no help. He should have deleted the whole set of recurring events but he didn't. He forgot, or at least that's what he keeps telling himself. 

The truth is, he is hesitating and he doesn't like being like that.

Thara has always treated him so well the last two conversations he had with him turned out to be extremely disappointing. He was okay with that Apple treating him like crap: he had already made his decision about her that night so it wasn't necessarily a big deal as long as she had zero importance in his life. But Thara was different: he was the one who overpaid him for being an inconvenience, he was the one who always welcomed him inside his home to shared food and family-like conversations over dinner that made him feel comfortable; he was the one who did his best to cheer him up when he was down and finally, he was the one who cared about him having fun and feeling pleasure when they were together. Because they were both doing it, he had said. Because he wasn't alone when they had sex, he had said. Either of them was. So he had expectations, which was something new because he had learned not to expect anything from anyone.

It is Thursday and he is at home alone, _definitely_ by choice and not because he has nothing else to do. And he is _defintely not_ moping over a jerk he might have liked a little bit.

When Thara told him he didn't mean any of what he had said, he believed him: he was reacting to the situation and apparently he didn't do well under pressure, which was kinda ironic given his job. He doubted his words towards him were meant to hurt, and being called a slut wasn't particularly offensive on most days. But being considered just that by the person he fancied hurt like a bitch. He isn't heartbroken because in no way he has deep feelings for Thara, but he did make him sad. 

On any other Thursday around this time he would be getting ready to go to his place: pick his clothers, get excited about the night ahead, wonder what P'Doctor would buy for dinner on his way back from the hospital. He would go there earlier and let himself in, talk to Cupcake and wait with her for her daddy to come home. They would eat, Thara sitting in front of him chewing his food as he listened to him go on about his week. And then it would be Frong's turn to ask him about his day, about what he had done during their time apart, and what about that pretty picture he sent him a few days earlier? And Cupcake looked gorgeous in the one he got on the same morning, how did he made her pose like that? He would show him the lastest game he was hooked on just to be mercilessly mocked and distracted until he threw the phone away. Sometimes Thara kissed him first, some other times he did. It didn't matter who started it because the moment they touched it was always fire and at some point he had realized that it wasn't supposed to be like that, that it never was before: he had slept with hundreds of clients but it was the first time he had felt that way. Instead of dealing with it though, he had pushed those thoughts aside and pretended it was nothing.

He could deny it all he wanted but had come to like him for real. It had gotten gradually clear in the way he anticipated seeing him, the longing half-way through the week, the faster heartbeats as he got closer to the moment they'd meet; or in the way he really wanted to stay longer for cuddles after sex instead of forcing himself to get out of bed after a few minutes. He didn't mind just hanging out and do the most mundane activities, watching him doing the dishes being one of them. But he also couldn't wait to get into his pants, skin on skin, Thara's breath against his neck, his voice deeper when the clothes had been shed and there was nothing but sweat between them. Even if it happened seldomly, he liked waking up to his vocals, his tone happy as he wished him a great day, his voice becoming huskier at night when he told him to sleep well. Thursday nights were nights when he could be a semi-normal guy spending time with the man he had a crush on. A man who seemed to have a crush on him too and liked to pamper him. He hadn't thought too much of it but he understood now why Thara felt like a real boyfriend, not someone who was playing one: he had caught feelings, or so he had said. And he had gotten crazy because of jealousy: because Apple touched him right in front of Thara. Because Apple belittled him. 

Because Apple was going to sleep with him he made a scene, he tried to buy him back so he could keep him to himself, at least that night. 

And this can't be happening: he fucked up the moment he started to like him. Not quitting before his feelings got deeper has been unprofessional on his part. To his defense he thought he would be safe as long as it was one-sided and unaknowledged, and as long as the other person didn't know. He believed he had the situation under control but it is only now that he sees he didn't, maybe he never did.

He doesn't have a choice: breaking it off and staying away is the only thing he can do to prevent Thara from ruining him and his plans. And to keep his P'Doctor away from his messed up life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I think the updates will have to slow down a bit because as I work on this I also have to finish the last chapter and the epilogue of my MingKit story. I'm actually almost done with that one but time during the week is very tight so I might need a couple of weeks before we can go back to the regular updating schedule of this fanfic.  
> That means that chapter twenty-three should be up around the end of the week.  
> Thanks for understanding, loves! All of you (but especially My boy's readers who have been waiting for a month for an update: if any of you are reading this too, know that I applaud your patience!)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He sighs as he parks his car in front of the familiar apartment complex, even though he came here only once months before.

**THARA**

  
He sighs as he parks his car in front of the familiar apartment complex, even though he came here only once months before. He had been just done with a patient when he got a call from Frong's phone, on the other side of the line a friend of his saying Frong was sick but refused to go to the hospital to get the right meds. Seeing his name on the screen had made his heart skip a beat but knowing he wasn't well made him worried for a few seconds until he was told it was probably just a very bad cold. 

It has been a few weeks since they last saw each other and after he uselessly tried for days to get him talk to him again so they could fix whatever they had, he had decided to give him a break. He had hoped to see him showing up at his place or to get a message, even where he cursed him out. He was ready to deal with any sort of insult as long as he reached to him because if he was still mad, it might have meant he cared. And if he cared maybe he had a chance to make things right. But he got nothing and was about to give up: as much as he liked him, he didn't want to be the one to make him miserable. If they weren't meant to be like he thought, there wasn't much he could do.

He gets out of the car, retrieves his bag from the back and quickly walks inside. The building looks nice, older than the one he lives in, but in a very good condition. He takes the stairs to the second floor and in a matter of seconds he finds himself in front of the apartment number five, the one he was told Frong lives in. He breathes in and knocks, a faint sound of voices and feet shuffling are all he can hear as he wait to be let in, and the surprise is big when the door opens and the person he sees is the waiter of his favorite restaurant. He remembers his name is Kao, or at least that is what the tag he usually wears says. Now he understands why the few times he they met outside it was in that place and they suspitiously always got very reserved tables away from the crowd. All along he had no clue that the guy who had been serving him food several times a week knew about everything. He remembers Frong saying somebody helped him and always knew where he was when he worked: was that him? He suddenly has so many questions but doesn't think that's the right time to ask them. He defintely will though.

"He's been like this since yesterday," Kao explains after they awkwardly greet each other. "I stopped by during my lunch break to leave some food and check on him, and found out he hasn't seen a doctor. He said he took paracetamol but the fever won't go down and he keeps coughing like he's about to expel a lung, and I can't get anything for that."

Thara laughs as they walk into a bedroom where Frong is covered with a blanket and, just as Kao sais, is coughing his lungs out.

"Oh my fucking god, why is he here?!" he tries to shout as soon as his eyes land on him, his voice hoarse. "I told you not to call him!"

"You didn't want to see a doctor so I brought the doctor here," Kao says, unimpressed when a pillow gets thrown at him. "Stop whining."

"He is a fucking oncologist!"

"And I can easily diagnose a simple cold," he tells when Kao turns his way, his face looking like he is wondering if that means he not the kind of doctor that would cure something as simple as that. He sits on the bed next to Frong and opens his bag. "Get out of there and let me examine you."

"We are not talking, remember? Get out."

"You're sick," he says without looking at him as he takes out his stethoscope, a diagnostic set and the infrared thermometer. "Don't be a child."

"Don't be an asshole," Frong barely blurts out before another coughing fit. "And leave."

He sighs, exasperated but willing to be a punching bag if that is what they need to move on.

"My break is gonna be over soon," Kao says scribbling on a piece of paper. "The dinner rush is gonna start soon and I have to go. This is my number."

Thara takes the piece of paper and tucks it in his pocket. "I'll call you if there's anything you need to buy for him."

"You better start running 'coz Imma beat your ass!"

Kao chuckles at the threat. "Yeah, yeah. Let's talk about that when you can actually stand up."

His gaze follows them as they bicker for a couple of more minutes. He tries to hide a smile as he watches Frong trying to keep up his usual cool act only to suddenly twist his whole body to cough and sneeze and ending up begrudgingly accepting the box of tissues his friend hands him.

"Now it's just you and me," he declares once Kao has left. "Sit on the bed and let me check what's wrong before I have to drag you out of there by force."

He does his best to look stern, hoping that Frong would stop being a pain. It is not until he starts coughing again, the fits so painful his hand automatically going to his chest and grabbing his shirt as if it could help, that he gives in but not without a pout and giving him the stink-eye.

"It's nothing serious," he tells him putting his tools back into the bag. "But you have to take care of yourself and take the right meds. And please, see a doctor when you're sick. If you had waited longer and your friend hadn't called me, this could have turned into something more severe. Did you eat?" he asks as he stands up and helps Frong lying down again. 

"Not hungry."

"It doesn't matter. You can't take this on an empty stomach." 

He takes out a few tablets and leaves them on the nightstand next to the bed. On the phone Kao had explained his syntoms so he had come prepared, hoping it wouldn't be anything but a bad cold. He walks to the kitchen and quickly fills a bowl with a small portion of food from the take-out boxes that the waiter had brought over, then goes back to bedroom and leave it and a glass of water next to the pills. Frong eyes are pleading him not to make him eat and he does feel bad because his throat probably hurts and he might feel nauseaous too. He promises he only needs to swallow a few of bites and Frong finally yields to him, even though he can only eat three spoonful of porridge. He takes the bowl back and gives him two pills and the water, and he is almost surprised by the fact that Frong has quiet down and he is doing what he is told without uttering a word. 

"It's gonna make you drowsy but at least you'll be able to get some rest," he says taking the glass back and feeling his forehead, more of an excuse to touch him than to actually feel his temperature. "Your throat is very inflamed: I doubt you were able to sleep last night."

Frong nods and brings the covers up all the way to his nose, the upper part of his head being the only part of his body he can see now. He looks kind of cute like that so he smiles as he gather the dishes and informs him he is going to wash them.

When he comes back from the kitchen Frong is sleeping. He looks out of the window and notices the sun is setting, so he takes his home keys and goes to the pharmacy to get the additional medicines he will need in the following days.

On his way out he texts Kao not to worry because he will spend the night and keep an eye on his friend. And given the reluctance to be in the same room as him that Frong has showed, it will probably be the first and last time they actually sleep together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! As I promised here's the chapter! I'll try to get the next out as fast as I can but I can't make any promises! This week I had not written a single word until earlier today TT  
> Hopefully I'll be less busy in the next few days!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He turns around and sees a lump of clothes next to him: Thara is sleeping on top of the covers, arms wrapped around his torso, his heavy head on his arm that he might have mistaken for a pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Since this is tightly related to the previous chapter I didn't want you to wait too long! Hopefully I'll be able to edit the next too before the end of the week!

**FRONG**

  
When he wakes up it is dark outside. He turns his head to the side and checks his alarm clock: it is a very old one that his mom bought when he was in middle school. He hated it for years because it looked childish with its flashing colors, white rabbits drawn on the background and two carrot-shaped hands. He hid it away as soon as he got a phone and started using its alarm, and forgot about it until he moved out after she passed away. He still used his phone to wake up but he was glad he never threw it away because now he liked seeing it on the nightstand and remembering the time he complained about it being for children. He usually also hear her laughing loudly as she told him that he was indeed a child. 

It is almost five in the morning but he feels well-rested. His head still hurts though, and so does his throat and every single bone in his body. One of his arms seems to be especially in pain, as if somebody left a weight on it all night. He doesn't understand what is wrong with it until he turns around and sees a lump of clothes next to him: Thara is sleeping on top of the covers, arms wrapped around his torso, his heavy head on his arm that he might have mistaken for a pillow. He remembers him coming the day before -Kao will have to pay for calling him- but concerning everything that happened after he ate and took his meds, his mind is blank. Did he stay the whole time? Where was that traitor he calls friend?

He is about to reach out to his phone to check his messages and call out Kao for leaving him with Thara when an alarm goes off. The sound comes from P'Doctor's body and indeed after a couple of seconds of rummaging through his pockets, he is able to turn it off. Frong watches him as he keeps sleeping for one more minute before slowly opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings. 

He looks cute with his disoriented expression and Frong can't help but think he misses him a lot. And he dislikes himself for that and for being glad that he is therein his room with him, glad that he didn't leave even if their current status isn't one where he has any obbligations to stay.

Their eyes meet and he sees how he suddenly seems more alert, one of his hands reaching out to his face, Thara's skin cold against his.  
"You're still quite warm but I think your fever is going down," he says and takes out the termometer to check properly. Frong decides to stay quiet and lets him do his thing because any complaint would fall on dead ears anyway.

"Do you always wake up so early?" he asks once he is done.

"I don't. But you have to take this every six hours, and it's been six hours since the last time I gave it to you."

"You clearly can't do your maths, P'Doctor: you gave it to me last night when I ate and it's probably been at least ten hours."

"You took your pills one more time since then," he dares to laugh at him as he stands up and walks to the other side of the bed, and then to the kitchen. Frong looks around confused while he hears cabinet doors being opened and closed, and the sound of water being poured. Thara comes back right after with a glass and more pills and continues his tale: "You barely woke up. I had to smash the pills, melt it in water as much as possible and make you drink it. Believe me, it wasn't fun."

He knows he should probably apologize for being an inconvenience but he is still mad at Thara and right now he is also slightly mad himself, so he doesn't.

"Kao?" he asks instead as he pops the pills in his mouth and drinks the whole glass, the cold water giving relief to his hurting throat.

"He called last night to check on you when his shift was over," he says before taking the empty glass and looking away as if he is hiding something. "He said he was going to send you something work-related."

As Thara disappears once again in the kitchen, he takes his phone and finally checks his messages: Kao has cleared his schedule for the next five days according to his doctor's directions and informed his clients that he is sick and their appointments will be rescheduled asap. He sighs, now knowing why _his doctor_ looked as guilty as a thief. He leans back against the headboard: of course he knows he couldn't work when he can barely stand on his feet, but it is the first time he takes a whole week off and he doesn't really know how he will pass the time. He can't move, he can't study because his head hurts too much. And now he feels sleepy again. Will he sleep the whole week away? Will he stare at the ceiling and mull over his pathetic life? Is his body getting so sick its way of telling him to take a break? 

P'Doctor comes back, what he believes to be hot tea in one hand. He sits on the edge of the bed, cup placed on the nightstand, and tells him to open his mouth wide before briefly blinding him with a small flashlight. A few weeks ago he would have done it gladly and on his knees, now he has to refrain from joking about what he just said so he won't delude himself into thinking they are okay.

Is the universe forcing him to face this situation with Thara instead of running away?

"It's warm honey milk," he says turning off his light after checking his mouth and looking at the drink he has prepared. "It'll help your throat. And your stomach is empty: you barely ate last night so at least drink this."

He takes a sip while Thara fixes his clothes and puts on the jacket he was wearing the night before. 

"I'm stopping at home to get changed before going to the hospital. I'll call you in six hours to remind you take your meds."

"I can manage by m-"

"And check on you," he ignores him. "So pick up your phone."

"I can take care of myself."

"Clearly you can't if your friend had to call a random doctor behind your back," Thara snaps and it is the first time he does since he arrived the night before. Even when he was telling him to go away he remained stoic, so he must be too tired to deal with his stubborness. He silently observes him as he massages the bridge of his nose and breathes in out a couple of times to calm himself down. The tone of his voice is more controlled when he continues, bloodshot eyes on him: "I'll worry so please, answer your phone. Once you're well, if you don't want to see me again I promise I'll disappear."

There is a hint of a smile on his lips but there is also no happiness in it. He is sad, definitely tired but he is not sure if it is because he didn't sleep much or because it is of him that he is tired of. Despite the fact that severing all ties is exactly what he had meaning to do, when the words come out of Thara's mouth they hurt him. The pills kick in and he is suddenly tired once again, so he lies down and dozes off. He is not sure but he thinks he feels the warm brush of fingers on his forehead and hears Thara's voice telling him he misses him. Or maybe he is already dreaming.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "On that day you said something."
> 
> "I said a lot of bullshit and believe me when I tell you I'm sorry and I didn't mean any of it."
> 
> "What about the part where you said you like me? Did you mean it?"
> 
> "Oh, that part."

**THARA**

  
At the end of the day he is parking again in front of Frong's place. He is not being over-apprehensive: he knows well it is just a common cold. But he is smitten, he misses having him around and he was lucky enough to get this chance: there is no way he is going to throw it away because of silly reasons like his condition being nothing serious or having to feel ashamed because of what transpired between them. 

The first few days after their last appointment he had tried to call him and text him but the lack of replies made him stop, too afraid of bothering him and getting the opposite result. Giving each other space and time was never in his plans but the choice had been made for him and he had no say in it. His only hope now is that Frong will magically change his mind and accept him back, although he is not sure that things would be the same: he fucked up big time, and in his shoes he would probably cut ties too.

But he isn't and for the moment he doesn't care about anything except being there with him. Frong is expecting him to go over since he sent him a message as soon as he got out work to tell him he would bring dinner. He takes out the key to his appartment which he borrowed the night before when he left to buy the medicines he needed, and he opens the door quietly in case he fell asleep again. The lights in the kitchen area are on, Frong is nowhere to be seen though. He leaves the boxes of take-out on the table and walks towards the bedroom only to realize that the water is running in the bathroom, so he goes back to set the table while he waits for Frong to be done. It takes a few minutes but finally he emerges from the bathroom, an annoyed expression on his face. 

"How are you feeling?" he asks, his hand instinctively reaching out to his face. Skin warm, eyes glassy: he looks better than the day before but he is still pale and weak since he is using the wall to support himself while he takes small steps towards the kitchen.

"Still like crap," he replies while sitting at the table. He notices when his eyes fall on the food and he makes a disgusted face. "I feel nauseous."

"The stuff I gave you is really strong and nausea could be an after-effect. It'll go away tomorrow but in the meantime you can drink this soup," he says placing the _tom yum_ and some pineapple, strawberries and blackberries front of him. "And I got some fruits that shouldn't bother you too much. I remember you said you liked berries."

Frong nods and looks down at the rest of the food: he admits he bought a lot but he had checked the fridge and there was nothing that could be turned into an edible meal, so he decided to stack on food for a couple of days. That way Frong wouldn't have to leave the house to go to the grocery store.

"The rest of the stuff I got is for tomorrow or the day after," he explains handing him a spoon. "Once you feel better you'll defintely be hungry."

Frong thanks him while digging in, even though he is barely able to finish half of his bowl before swallowing a few pieces of fresh fruits. They eat quietly, Frong mostly focused on his phone while he tries to come up with a topic that wouldn't make the other ignore him or get mad at him. Truth is, he wants know what he has been up to since they separated: did he see his brother the week before for his birthday and did he like the gift he helped him pick? Was he too busy to progress with his studies or did he at least finish that book on fundamentals of organizing a new business he was reading? He wanted to ask who he had dinner with the past few Thursdays, if his slot has already been filled by another new client. 

Did Frong miss him as much as he did?

He knows well that he would avoid answering each of those questions so he watches him quietly while he eats, and then he washes the dishes as quietly as the music of a game Frong is playing echoes in the apartment.

"Is there anything you need?" he asks later when he helps him to his bed. Looking around he makes sure the bottle of water on his nightsrtand is full and the tea hot in its cup. Tissues are next to them, the phone and its charger are within reach as well. Frong is already under the covers, his face contorting while he yawns. He seems to have everything he needs so, having run out excuses to hang around, Thara gets mentally ready to leave. He doesn't get an answer but after having avoided to look at him in the eyes for the past hour, Frong's gaze is finally on him. He seems pensive, as if he wants to say something.

"What is it? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"

"You can stay for a bit," he answers, leaving him speechless for a few seconds. "Until I fall asleep. I've been alone all day."

He almost reminds him that Kao spent his whole break there with him: he knows because his friend reported to him once he left. He keeps it to himself though, and holds a chuckle and the urge the jump around, happy that he was asked to keep him company.

"Okay," he says and walks to the other side of the bed while he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt. He fixes a pillow and sits, back against the headboard."So, what did you do today?"

Frong looks at him like he just lost is mind and Thara laughs. "Okay, okay. I'm kidding!"

"You're so weird, you know that?"

"Yeah, but I'm also fun, right?"

"I'm not sure about that."

Thara slides down and turns his body to the side, he leans on his arm and looks up at Frong: "I've always been like this. A bit different from others, with different interests, a weird sense of humor. Different priorities because no middles schooler would spend his or her free time picking up trash from the beaches."

Frong nods, eyes still on him. 

"Different sexuality," he adds. "It's a miracle I never got bullied in school: kids nowadways have a harder time for a lot less."

"Maybe you were lucky enough to meet the right friends and grow up in a decent environment."

"I guess. What about you?"

"I've always been pretty popular, more than Bohn but he likes to believe he is the real winner. Sure, he won once over me. But truth is, the majority of his fans in uni were BL shippers that fantasized about him and Duen."

Frong's smirk as he answers doesn't go unnoticed and on any other day Thara would have kiss it away for acting like a naughty rival to his cousin's boyfriend. Instead he smiles: "Really?"

"Yeah, apparently some even wrote stories and uploaded them online. Bohn was pissed because they made him a submissive wife while Duen was described as a dominant, manly husband. My peers saw him getting wasted at the bars because of that issue," he laughs as his mind goes back to those days. He looks a bit nostalgic and devastatingly pretty.

"I wish I had seen that."

"Bohn getting drunk? It must have been fun: I remember being told he ended up on the floor and held on Duen's leg for dear life."

"No. You," he sighs wondering what would have happened if he had met him during one of his visits to his cousin. "I bet you were adorable in your uniform."

What he gets back is a punch on his bicep but it is so weak that he can barely feel the hit. "I was handsome. Kinda cute too sometimes, I guess."

"I should ask Duen to show me old pictures of the two of you."

"I don't think we have any together from back then. I left school not longer after meeting him."

Since that afternoon when Frong opened up about his money issues and dropping out of school they never talked about it again: even if he was curious and wanted to know more, he felt that it was something too personal to casually ask him about, especially since their relationship had no real status.

"P'Doctor," Frong says, and the tone of his voice sounds serious. He had called him by his name the day they broke things off but somehow being called like that again almost gives him hope that things could be fixed and that he still has a chance. 

He doesn't say anything but waits for him to continue.

"On that day you said something."

"I said a lot of bullshit and believe me when I tell you I'm sorry and I didn't mean any of it," he is quick to reply now that he seems to be finally given the chance to apologize. Frong's eyes look hazy though and he looks like he might fall asleep any minute. "We don't have to talk about it now though. We can do it when you get better."

"What about the part where you said you like me? Did you mean it?"

"Oh, that part," he almost stutters. He remembers how he panicked and spit that out in his rant but Frong showed zero reactions to his confession so he figured he hadn't heard it or maybe he hadn't understood it the way it was supposed to be understood. But he did and he had been thinking about it. About him. "Yeah, I did. I do."

"But nobody likes hookers," he mumbles between yawns before his eyes slowly close and he falls asleep. "You are really weird."

Thara watches him for a moment and smiles. It was just about the physical attraction in the beginning, but somehow after that night at his friend's wedding Frong had stolen his heart.

"I really am," he tells him and hopes he will like back a weird guy like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I have been given more responsibilities at work and that means increased workload and less time than I expected for the fun stuff :(  
> As always, thank you so much for reading! I love you all and I miss spending more time here and interacting with you! Leave tons of comments! <3


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first thing he does as soon as he opens his eyes is check if he is sleeping next to him.

**FRONG**

  
The first thing he does as soon as he opens his eyes is check if he is sleeping next to him but the space beside him is empty and the lights in the apartment seemed to be off. He stretches from under the covers and realizes that for the first time in days his head doesn't feel heavy, the migraine seems to be gone, he can actually breathe through his nose and even though his voice is still not back to normal, he doesn't think he has been coughing much in the past few hours. Whatever those pills were, they worked like a charm and quite fast. He picks up his phone and notices the yellow post-it stuck on the glass: in a very neat handwriting, something he wouldn't expect from a doctor, he had written he went home and would call in the morning. A dramatic sigh leaves his mouth, follwed by a chuckle as he covers his eyes with his arm, phone still between his fingers.

  
He has been awake for less then two minutes but the whole time he has only thought about him, hoped he was there, got disappointed that he wasn't, wished he hadn't left.

He hides under the blaket as he remembers what his words from the night before: he likes him still. And it is clear that Frong likes him too.   
And Huston, they have a damned ginormous problem.

He broke things off with him so they could get over it. Out of sight, out of mind, they said. 

Well, they were wrong: the distance and the time apart has made his feelings grow. And now that he has seen him again he doesn't want to let him go anymore. 

What is he supposed to do though? Date him for real? 

He can see it happening: homey dinners at his place, quiet afternoons with Cupcake while Thara reads and he studies, drinks out, his contours blurred by cigarettes smoke but his shiny eyes unmistakably recognizable no matter the grey fumes or the dimmed lights of a bar. He would take him home and they would have sex on each piece of forniture if that is what he wants. But most of the times Thara would kiss him one step after the treshold, then make love to him on his bed: languid touches, the scent that is just him all around and filling his nostrils, smooth and precise hands grazing his skin so softly that a rush of static would run through each and every nerve of his body until he can't think about anything, his lover's name the only coherent sound coming out from his mouth. In the morning Frong would roll over and cover his face with kisses: on his eyes and the tip of his nose, one on his chin, the stubble probably scratching him but he wouldn't care; one on the cute little mole under his eye and finally the last peck on his full lips. At some point they would tell Duen and he is sure he would be happy for them, while Bohn would finally stop acting like a guard-dog. And if Duen insisted, they would go on double dates every now and then. 

But what is the price going to be? Thara has gotten so mad the one time he saw him during one of his work appointments and the result has been a huge fight. What if it happens again while they are dating? Will he make scene? Will they break up? Can he be his boyfriend and still let him do his job? He needs it and there is no way he is going to quit, not for any guy and not even for a guy he really likes. He is just not the kind of person who lets anyone dictate his life, let alone a partner who is supposed to support him and his choices. 

They haven't talked yet but he is definitely going way ahead of himself.

It is all Kao's fault: if he hadn't called the doctor, he would have kept pining after him until he really got over him. Staying away helped him not fucking things up. But of course his bestfriend had decided that meddling in his business was a good idea and of course Thara would be caring to the point of nursing him even at night. He was a doctor with a temper, but also incredibily nice to somebody who had basically dumped him and who was uselessly trying to kick him out when he just came over to help. How was he supposed to stick to the plan and stay indifferent? Being taken care of had felt good after years of handling everything on hiw own: he had felt loved and maybe a bit happy. It was what everyone out there had, except him. Could he try to be happier too? Should they talk about it? He should have his own proposal ready if he wants to be in a relationship during this time of his life: he is not a regular guy and Thara will have to put up with his clauses if he likes him as much as he says.

He doesn't dwell much on it and types a message right away before he gets his sanity back and changes his mind. Once he hits send he puts the phone down and pulls the covers up a bit more, his head now completely hidden. 

If he had his normal voice he would probably squeak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So this chapter was pretty much ready but I made some changes and started rewriting the next one pretty much from scratch. It should be ready by Sunday ;)  
> Thank you everyone for sticking with me this week too!


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time had come, had it? Frong was better and didn't need him anymore and he was probably going to tell him that that was it, so thank you very much but don't show your face in front of me again, right?

**THARA**

  
_I'm up, no need to call to check on me_  
_Will you come tonight?_  
_I think we should talk about us_

  
He was driving to the hospital that morning when he saw the messages, the last one especially was making him feel nervous. The time had come, had it? Frong was better and didn't need him anymore and he was probably going to tell him that that was it, _so thank you very much but don't show your face in front of me again_ , right?

A particularly rude ray of sushine blinds him and he realizes he has been sitting in the car in front of the apartment for almost five minutes. Even the sky looks like its bleeding, the reds more intense than usual. He breathes in and decides that mulling over it wouldn't change anything, so he gets out and pretends he is ready to face it. He lets himself inside, this time leaving the keys at the entrance instead of putting it back into his pocket like he has done in the past few days. Frong is sitting on the couch, a book in his hands, clean clothes on and it looks like has showered and washed his hair. The color is back to his skin, the circles around his eyes less prominent: he is clearly feeling better if has managed to wash up on his own and stay out of bed. Out of habit he gets closer and touches his forehead, the skin warm but not as hot.

"The fever went down, it's almost gone," Frong says looking up at him.

"Still, take it easy for the next few days. Stay at home until you've completely recovered."

"My doctor made me take the whole week off," is the reply he gets, the hint of a smile on Frong's lips as he closes the book and makes space on the couch for him to sit. 

"Be a good patient then." He takes his jacket off and rolls up his sleeves just to ave something to do with his hands as he sits next to him. "You don't want to get sick again next week because you didn't give your body enough time to recuperate."

"At this point I have no choice but enjoy the time off."

He nods and kind of hopes they can get this over with fast because he is tired: he has barely slept in the past few days and for the whole day he has been worried about this moment and about not being able to see Frong again. He is tired because he made one mistake but for the whole time he has known him, he has tried to show him in every way possible how much he cared for him, but it was all for nothing. All it took was seeing him in the presence of one client for a couple of minutes and he has gotten jealous to the point he hurt him. He wishes they could go back to that night so he could act differently. He briefly looks into his lap before gathering his courage and lifting his gaze to meet Frong's. 

"You said we should talk." 

"Yeah."

"So..?"

"I told you to stay away from me. That we couldn't see each other anymore. And that your feelings are part of the reason why."

He is not sure what he is supposed to think: Frong looks very calm, quite at peace and the complete opposite of the last time they had a similar conversation. Is it because he doesn't care at all about him? Because dumping him is just something he has to check off his list of things to do? Wasn't he mad because he offended him with his words?

"It wasn't for the stuff I said?"

"At the beginning it was. You were a jerk, and we will talk about that too. But this is different."

Finally Frong's eyes quickly shift away before he asks him a question that sounds more like a statement: "Last night I asked you something."

"My feelings are mine only," he says before he has to hear that what he feels isn't real or that he should get over them. "Do I really make you so uncomfortable that you need to cut me out of your life?"

"You don't," Frong sighs and leans forward, elbows on his tighs, palm rubbing as he continues. "Feelings are a problem if they interfere with my work but you're right: your feelings are yours but most of all, _your_ feelings don't really matter anymore. _Your_ feelings aren't the problem."

Now he is confused.

"But you said... I don't understand. If it's not because of me liking you then what is it?"

" _My_ feelings. My feelings are the problem here."

"What?"

"In this whole mess I kinda started liking you too."

He looks at him, speechless and disbelievingly. For one long moment he can't swallow and he is pretty sure his heart is trying to break down his ribcage and jump out of his chest. Being liked back is what he had hoped for for weeks but it is also the last thing he has expected, especially lately. He smiles, elated at the prospect of finally being able to act on his crush for him. But the expression on Frong's face is still serious and his next words are a momentary cold shower.

"That's why you can't be my client."

"Why can't things stay as they are? I like you, you like me so why should we stop seeing each other?"

"And what? You're gonna keep paying me? To date me?"

"You meant that you just don't want me to pay?"

"I don't want you to have any reason to think that you own me. I'm not your possession and my life is mine alone, just like my choices. We can see each other, not because of a contract be because we want to be together. Like a normal couple."

Frong is purposely keeping a physical distance between them and Thara wants nothing but to erase the gap separating them and make that statement feel real.

"But I won't leave my job," Frong adds. "Not yet. And it's clear that it's an issue for you so the choice is yours."

What choice does he have? Endure his selected profession and have him or get nothing at all? What kind of choice is that? How can he give up without even trying, knowing what it is like to lose him?

Frong says he likes him, that he wants to be with him. But that he won't be his, not the way he wants to. He says he chooses to be half his and it is not because of a deal. Not because of an obbligation. Not beacause of money. He says he doesn't mind losing one of sources of income because Thara is important enough. Just enough to sleep with him only. At least not yet, not until he got his life back on track. He has his priorities that won't be affected by any romantic relationship: his life, his mom's shop, his degree. 

And he admires him for that, he is proud of him. And he likes him, more than anyone he has liked in years. And his own heart is not giving him the luxory to actually make a choice. 

It can only be a yes for him. Even if in Frong's order of importance he only comes fourth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! You all got halfway through Stuck on you: congrats! Last night I planned the rest of the story until almost the end and I hope you'll stay with me for the next couple of months!
> 
> Also I'm sorry @cynical_revenclaw but I unintentionally lied to you: this was supposed to be the chapter where they get officially together but I had to split it into two parts at the last minute. Be ready for cavities though because the next few chapters will be disgustingly sweet (with a hint of sexy, of course).


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You think that what happened that night might happen again. Most likely you're right: sometimes it will be difficult for me and there's a good chance we'll fight again over this."

**FRONG**

  
Next to him, Thara sighs and takes his hand in his. He knows that his words are always too straightforward for most people but he doesn't want Thara to delude himself that this will be the kind of fairytale where everything goes smoothly after they finally get together. The obstacles are right in front of them and he needs to be sure that they will face them as one and that he won't be left behind when the game gets tougher and rougher than he expects. Things have to be clear starting now. 

  
He searches for Thara's eyes which are downcast and focused on their now interwined hands. 

"So, we're really doing this?" he asks finally lifting his gaze. 

"You're okay with everything I just said?" he asks him to make sure, one more time.

"We're not dating yet but you're already thinking about the hard times," he chuckles, his thumb drawing invisible strokes on the back of his hand. "You think that what happened that night might happen again. Most likely you're right: sometimes it will be difficult for me and there's a good chance we'll fight again over this. Will you be okay with that?"

Frong nods because he understands his point of view and he knows that eventually they will have arguments on his job. But he also understands that it would be because he cares.

"I think we can be really good together," Thara continues. "And I don't want to give up on us, not without even trying."

"So that's it? We're dating?"

"Yeah," Thara smiles at him and he can help but let his lips curve up too. "We're dating."

"Okay," he says but none of them makes a move. He wonders if he should give him a kiss maybe? They come from a weird place, so wouldn't it be awkward? Or would it be too little? In the past few months they have definitely done wilder things. "So what now?"

"Now you get some more rest," Thara declares getting up and dragging him with him. "Your fever has been going down but it's still there and you're still a bit sick. Once you've gotten your strenght back we can go on a date. This weekend you should be alright."

"This weekend," he repeats while looking at him as he basks in the reddish light of the sunset and pours himself a glass of water. He seems more at ease now, his wide shoulders more relaxed. He can make out the veins on his arms popping out and drawing exquisite and intricated paths on his skin, the same trails he used to feel under his palms when he used to hold his forearms as he rode him on his bed.

He doesn't really need dates. Romance is fine but it is not what he needs right now, not after having been away from for weeks. 

"Two whole days from now," he adds hoping he can have his way with him. It shouldn't be tough: he must have missed him too, right? "What are we gonna do in the meanwhile?"

"Hang out?"

"You know, I _might_ have changed the sheets earlier," he explains as he walks towards him. "I'm strong enough to do that. You're my doctor: maybe you can tell me what other kind of activities I can do."

Thara laughs in his face, almost choking on his water, and he honestly feels almost offended. 

"Nothing strenuous," he says putting the bottle of cold water back into the fridge. "You're still a patient and you know what you can do? Get your firm ass back to bed."

To prove his point he starts pushing him from the back until they reach the bedroom. He turns around in time to see him roll down his sleeves, a sign that he might wear his jacket again and most likely go home.

"So what now? You're gonna leave? Just like this?" he whines. This is definitely not how he imagined starting a relationship for the first time in forever would be. 

"Are you unsatisfied, Romeo?"

"Yes! You're not even giving me a kiss!"

"I haven't seen you in weeks: how could I stop at one kiss?" he teases him as he wraps his waist in a loose hold, hands resting on the small of his back.

"Then don't stop," he almost whispers while getting closer, arms around his neck, eyes into his as he sports the sultriest of his looks. "I can take it." 

He kisses him first, his lips gently pressed on Thara's for one long moment before angling his face better and seeking entrance. He takes his lower lip between his and sucks it until he can finally getting a taste of his mouth. He cups the back of Thara's head with one his hands and pulls him closer, his palm keeping him in place to make sure he won't escape. He doesn't think he has to be worried about that anymore though, because the hands on his back push him foward and the hold on his waist tightens. He is sure he hears a moan between the kisses but he doesn't know if it comes from his or P'Doctor's throat. He feels lightheaded, unsure if it is because of the kiss or because Thara is right and he is still weak. He holds tighter on his shoulders but he moves his face slightly back, out of breath and eyes clouded. He smiles content when he feels Thara's moist lips leave a peck on his jaw, followed by a light tickle as he brushes the tip of his nose across his cheek and inhales the smell of his skin. 

"Needy," Thara breathes, forehead against his, one butterfly kiss on his chin and one more on his lips. Frong finds himself feeling suddenly shy, the gestures of a deeper level of intimacy they ever shared. It is just a kiss but it is different. Will the way they have sex change too? He has liked it so far and for a moment he is almost scared of the intensity of his feelings and their impact on the way they are going to be together from now on.

Lost in his musings for a few seconds, he doesn't realize Thara has stepped back until he gets pushed against the bed and gracelessly falls on it. He expects the doctor's body to follow and cover his. Instead the blanket is thrown over him and in a matter of moments he finds himself tucked in.

"You implied you wouldn't stop at one kiss," he says feigning annoyance. "You tricked me!"

"I guess my willpower is stronger than I thought. And I can't take advantage of a sick person. I'm still a doctor and a decent human being. Or so I like to think."

"I'm already regretting this. Should we break up?" he jokes, but is somewhat relieved that this is where they stop today. Their hookups have always been different and very intense and he might not be ready for sex with a boyfriend he likes so much.

A boyfriend. His boyfriend.

He almost smiles but Thara's small laugh distracts him. He watches him as he walks around the bed, then plops down next to him on what seems to have become his side of the bed. Frong sits up slightly, his shoulders against the headboard while Thara snuggles into his side, one arm over his stomach and head on his shoulder.

"I'm so tired," he mumbles as he yawns. One look at the clock and he sees it is not even nine o'clock. They didn't even have dinner. "I worried all day. I thought you were going to dump me for good."

"Yeah?" he asks, a stupid smile on his face. He is sure that he has been pretty obvious in the past few days. If he really wanted to let him go he would have kicked him out on the first day Thara barged into his home with the excuse of playing doctor. 

"Yeah. You can be really mean. I thought you hated me."

He gently strokes his hair, his hand almost buried in the soft strands. Thara gets more comfortable against him and holds him tighter, his finger accidentally grazing the skin of his hips left unconvered when the shirt slightly lifted up as he sat on the bed. It is weirdly electrifying and his crotch definitely responds to the small touch. 

"Are we really gonna sleep?"

"And cuddle."

He sighs and tips his head against the headboard and Thara looks up. "We had more sex when we weren't dating."

"I was paying you for that. I might be well-off but I don't waste my money."

He knows he is teasing him, but he can't help but overreact at his statement.

"Does that mean that now I gotta earn it?" he dramatically asks, one hand on his chest and an outraged expression on his face. Thara laughs and pulls up enough to leave a peck on his jaw.

"God, I missed you," he says, his lips curved up and Frong is sure he has never seen anything more beautiful than Thara's smile in that very moment.

"Apparently not enough to sleep with me."

"Build up your stamina," Thara almost whispers as he gets back to his previous position on his shoulder. "This weekend I won't let you keep your clothes on at all."

"You better." 

He wraps his arm around Thara and holds him closer. He breathes in and calms down because even though he is still turned on, he also likes this. Besides, his doctor told him to take it easy so he will. To be honest he would do anything to avoid his nagging. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update but RL's been super hard and tiring!  
> Next on Stuck on you: Thara and Frong go on their first date but it might not be what Frong expects... :D


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One step outside of his building and his first instinct is to run towards sweet coldness of Thara's air-conditioned car but the moment he opens the gate he stops, blood leaving his body as he takes off his sunglasses and almost faints.

**FRONG**

  
One step outside of his building and his first instinct is to run towards sweet coldness of Thara's air-conditioned car but the moment he opens the gate he stops, blood leaving his body as he takes off his sunglasses and almost faints.

He has spent the last two hours getting ready for their first date. His boyfriend of three days asked him to go out in the afteroon, insisting that there was no need to dress up but instead wear comfortable clothes. He didn't disclose his plans regardless of his prodding but there was no way he would dress casual for such an important occasion: the man was his but he had to keep impressing him if he wanted to keep him, that was a fact. Two hours spent on showers and removal of unneeded body hair on both his chest and face, hair styled to perfection, his favorite dark jeans and a night-blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up just enough to show off his forearm, the fit not too tight but strategically drawing the attention to the subtle curves of his muscles. He figured they would go for a walk, maybe have a coffee in a cosy place somehwere along the way before having dinner somewhere nice. And hopefully they would be haing steamy sex all the way into the night or the morning, reason why he had also cleaned up his place. He didn't mind sleeping over at Thara's too to be honest: he had missed Cupcake and wanted to see the pet. He could play with her while Thara made breakfast and then they could have sex again all day. His boyfriend did promise him he wouldn't let him put his clothes on all weekend and he was gonna hold him to that. He never wanted to leave his bed unless it was for food. And even in that case, they could have their meals while lying naked on the mattress. Reardless of how things would go, he was sure Thara had a surprise in store for him. 

And surprised, he definitely was.

The dork was standing in front of his car, cycling clothes and helmet on. He was sure he was wearing padded cycling shorts under his shorts. He looked like he was inspecting one of the two bikes next to him, seemingly set on doing a serious workout.

Frong had been too until five seconds before. Just not the same kind.

He is utterly horrified.

Finally Thara sees him and smiles, and Frong melts for a moment (the scorching sun might be literally be reducing him in a puddle of goo too). 

Thara is up and in front of him right away, the peck he leaves on his lips distracting him briefly from his rant about great weather and fantastic occasions to go for a ride and enjoy the nature. He says something about cycling along the riverside for ten miles until the _Botanical garden of Sri Nakhon_.

He looks away from his lips and up to his helmet, and wonders if he should just rush back inside and break up via Line. Or pretend he is still sick, maybe faint for real. Would he nurse him back to health in his cold bedroom instead of under the sun? Anyone gets nice first dates: why does he have to run a marathon and sweat and smell like a pig the first time they go out as a couple?

"So what do you think? Cool, right?" Thara asks, eyes dancing with excitement. "And some exercise would help you get some energy back. I promise you'll feel better after this."

He sighs: how can he says he is not really into this when he is being so cute and actually thinking about him, too? He did make an effort to plan this, even if he had a different kind of date in mind. So Frong kisses goodbye to his romantic stroll hand in hand and the coffee in a trendy café. He hopes that at least Thara will make out with him under the shade of trees. PDA can be sexy and he needs a reward for riding a bike in that heat for so long.

"Do I have to wear that?" he asks when Thara hands him his helmet. "It's gonna ruin my hair."

"You are gorgeous no matter how perfect or messy your hair looks," he says. "But safety first. I like your bad hair too."

"You never saw my bad hair."

"I saw you as soon as you woke up after a sleepless night while you coughed out your lungs and had snot running down your nose. And yeah, ugly bed hair too,"he lists and Frong blushes in embarassment because he never really thought about how bad he must have looked the day Kao brought him to his place when he was sick.

"It was sexy though. Your hair. Not the snot. That is never sexy."

"I was sick and you were checking me out?" he fumbles with the helmet trying to hide his blushing cheeks. "What kind of doctor are you?"

"One who is crazy about you," Thara smiles and he momentarily forgets what he is doing. He is so cheesy but it has been forever since anyone has liked and flirted with him like that outside of his job. And he can get used to it. 

He stays still as his P'Doctor helps him secure the helmet and gives him a quick peck before they both get on the bikes he has rented for them. Riding the bike for ten miles won't kill him.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I missed you guys! And I missed Thara and Frong, it's good to be back! Life is still crazy but I'll do my best to update frequently!


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first mile is alright. By the third he is sweating and it's getting harder but he can still do it. 
> 
> Around the seventh he prays he was dead.

  
**FRONG**

  
The first mile is alright. By the third he is sweating and it's getting harder but he can still do it. 

  
Around the seventh he prays he was dead: the shirt sticks to him like a second skin, his jeans are getting tight, drops of sweat trickle down his face and neck. He goes to the gym but mostly lifts weights, and because he hates cardio, he doesn't run for more than ten minutes every once in a while. He has zero resistance, the opposite of Thara who keeps pedalling next to him looking like he is putting no effort at all, the smile never leaving his face and he is not even panting. 

  
The moment he sees the entrance of the park in the distance he is so happy he might cry. 

  
When Thara asks him if he wants to keep riding inside he almost drops the bike and hails cab, but as soon as he can normally breathe again he is in awe in front of the beauty of the place he has picked. Vivid green all around, there are trees and plants everywhere. From the board next to them he sees that beyond the first part of the park, right in the middle of the forest, there is a small pond. He takes Thara's hand in his without much thought and starts walking, determined to see as much as he can before the sun starts setting. They stroll among dozens of plants of different kinds and shapes, walk over wooden bridges overlooking the canals, and a water monitor scares the shit out of him when it comes out of the branches of a group of mangroove trees. P'Doctor laughs to his heart content as he pouts for being made fun at when he almost got a heart attack. They are barely a couple but Thara has literally seen the worst of him. How he can still like him and be willing to spend time with him is a mistery to Frong. 

They are in the middle of the botanical garden when they decide to rest and sit on the grass of the bank overlooking the lake. The place is quiet, most of the visitors picking the more easily accessible picture area with clean steps they can sit on, just several feet from them.

He knew about this place but never visited it, always too busy doing more important stuff, or maybe just living his life according to his own priorities. Thara is completely different from him in that regard, and for that he is extremely grateful because he keeps showing him the beauty he never noticed before in so many things he had under his nose his whole life.

His brand new boyfriend sits on the ground next to him and brings forward his backpack. He takes out a couple of tumblers of cold water and he thankfully drinks from one of them while a box magically appears and inside he sees the cutest messed up composition of sliced fresh fruits over a bed of sticky rice. Perfectly cut apples, mangoes and papaya mixed with grapes and strawberries: it is the perfect snack and Frong barely gives him time to take out their utensils before attacking the box. 

"Do you still hate it?"

Thara's question makes him feel a bit guilty: he can't deny his reactions earlier might have not been as well hidden as he thought. He had only complained in his head while the doctor had put so much thought into this, from making reservations to making up a route to even preparing food to enjoy. He takes back any previous thought he had about this date: it is the best ever.

"I'm sorry," he says putting down the spoon and the almost empty box. "I was expecting something different but I don't hate it. I almost lost a lung," he smiles and Thara laughs. "But this place is amazing and I really like it. Thank you."

"Thank you for not going back home the moment you saw me. I thought you'd pass out from the shock."

Thara gets closer first, a small smile on his lips as they softly touch his. It is just a peck and he moves away to briefly look into his eyes. Frong holds his gaze, getting lost in his dark eyes, no matter how cheesy it sounds. When he looks at him that way he forgets everything and all he wants is to stay like that, just the two of them, the sound of Thara's steady intakes of breath letting him know that he is real, they are alive and their time didn't stop. Frong kisses the side of his mouth before moving to the side of his face, their skin barely brushing before he plants a kiss on his cheek and on his jaw. He feels Thara's hand on his hip, pulling him closer, or as close as they can be in a public place even though nobody is around or can see them.

"I almost pretended to," he whispers in his ear and Thara's shoulders shake a little as he chuckles, head facing his before swooping in for a real kiss, their lips perfectly molded against each other. In the quiet of their hiding place, chirping of birds and the sound of water as their background music, the tip of Thara's tongue teases his but he doesn't care. He likes the innocence of this kiss and he doesn't mind keeping it like that: it feels new and exciting, like he is cherishing him but also telling him that he still wants him. It is not their first kiss, nor is it their first as couple. But it feels like one and it is perfect. 

"I made reservations for dinner," he says after one last peck. "And I have clean clothes in the car. We can stop by your place, take a shower and clean up before going."  
Frong sits back next to him and rests his head on Thara's shoulder. "We're showering together," he says softly. "But you better hide away from me when you get ready or we won't make it to dinner."

Thara wraps on arm around him as he snicker a _yessir_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I might have slowed down with the updates but you're not getting rid of me! *evil laugh*  
> I hope you're all doing amazing! Keep reading and stay fabulous!


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the first time they had all the time in the world.

**THARA**

  
The moment he saw the almost disappointed look on Frong's face, he had been zero point five seconds away from freaking out. Of course he knew that excercising wouldn't be his thing but the park was amazing and his only goal had been to make their very first date as a couple as unique and memorable as it could be, so they would remember it forever. They had held hands on the way back to their bikes, Frong slightly bumping on purpose into him every now and then, requesting his attention, a smile, a peck. Once they got home they had showered together, made out as they stood naked under the shower head, warm water cascading on them and running into their mouths as they kissed but they didn't care. Nothing else had happened, and even though Frong's wet skin against his was both he most pleasant feeling and the worst torture, he liked that in the past few days their relationship had been platonic. It had been weeks since the last time they had sex and he missed him immensily, but they both knew that they were sexually compatible: months of sleeping together were proof of that. This pause in their most sinful activities marked a clean slate: no more money, no more lying, no more feelings kept secret. He could finally speak his mind, tell him he liked him, tell him he couldn't wait to take his clothes off and take him to bed when Frong presented himself looking stunning for their dinner, hold his hand and look at him as he glowed with the city lights behind his back while the waitress poured them two glasses of wine.

  
They had gone back to his own place because it was closer and because Frong had insisted on saying hi to Cupcake. A plan that had been postponed because the moment they stepped inside the apartment, Thara had attacked his mouth and started to peel off his clothes layer after layer, lights still off as they tentatively walked into his bedroom between giggles and kisses. Frong had the audacity to laugh and call him hasty when he almost ripped the button of his pants, too impatient in his quest to get him naked as quickly as possible.

For the first time they had all the time in the world: Frong wouldn't have to leave once they were done, and he didn't have to prepare the usual evelope of money. He knew that well but it had suddenly hit him when he finally found the switch, the while light illuminating the room and shining on Frong's pale skin, shadows flickering in the hollows of his chiseled chest and abs. He had grabbed his face between his hands and forced him to look into his eyes for a moment to make sure he was real, he was there, he was his. Frong had smirked and pressed their bodies together before pushing him on the matress and falling over him in a mess of tangled limbs.  
After that all he remembers are wet trails on his upper body and Frong's fingers curling inside of him, his gasps as he rolled him over and his breathless cries as he digged his heels in the back of Thara's legs, the grip on his arms deadly as he was pulled down towards him. He remembers coming almost together, Frong's moans rolling on his tongue and down his throat as they kissed during their high.

Frong never let him go, not once, and moved not farther than a few inches from him. Lips constantly searching his, hands around his neck, his shoulders and his back, Thara had barely been able to catch his breath as he pumped into him without missing a beat giving into all his requests: he would hold him closer, he would kiss him more, he would thrust deeper. Frong had made sure he was there with him and Thara had let him know he wasn't going anywhere.

He settles on the pillow next Frong and rests his head over his arm, not bothering about covering themselves up. They look at each other for a few moments, their labored breaths echoing in the quiet surrounding them. He smiles and Frong pushes himself up to leave a shy peck on his forhead before moving back to what has become his side. It used to be temporary but not anymore: it is officially his side of the bed, just like he is officially his boyfriend.

He doesn't say anything as he observes his boyfriend's eyes quickly running over his naked body, not as if it was the first time he saw him clothless but with purpose, as he was taking him all in so he could store a picture of this moment somewhere in his pretty head. He notice him licking his lips and looks in the same direction, his gaze meeting his own half soft dick resting on the inner thigh after the strenuous efforts of a few minutes earlier. He chuckles remembering that one time Frong playfully did a wai to it after a set of very intense orgasms in one of their hottest sex sessions to date. 

When he looks up, Frong's eyes are on him, serious and intense but with a certain light sparkling and lightening up his dark irises. He waits for a few moments for a word or a movement, and when nothing happens he asks first: "What's going on through your head?"

"Nothing."

Frong's pokerface is back on in a flash as his first reaction is to defend himself and stop from revealing too much. But his gaze softens again right after and Thara thinks he wouldn't have to say anything anymore because he has already melt him with his eyes only. 

"Just looking at you."

He can't help but smile at the confession and the way his already pink cheeks cutely turn darker. "You're gonna get all cheesy on me now?"

"Nah, it's a side effect of getting laid. Endorphines or something like that."

"Endorphines and oxyctocin," he grins. "They are sorta mood-boosters."

"And if you keep smiling that your face is gonna split in two, P'Doctor."

"I'm just happy, like I haven't been in a long time."

"What about before?" Frong asks him as he pulled up and they are close enough he can feel the warmth of his body on his own skin. "I worked really hard to make you feel good."

"And you did: it was amazing and satisfying. The way we did it made me feel wanted."

"And now it's different?"

"Once done, you'd get up and leave and I'd be left alone," he throws an arm over Frong's hip and pulls towards his own body. "Now I turn around and you're still here, and you're looking at me like that. I don't think I can explain it properly."

Frong leaves a soft kiss on his lips before settling his head under his chin, no more space between them as he leans in and wraps arms and legs around him.

"You don't have to," he whispers interwining their fingers. "It's probably the same way you were looking at me a moment ago."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I can't believe it's been a whole month since the last update!  
> The good news is that I'm pretty much done planning the rest of the story chapter by chapter. The bad news is that I have to find the time to actually write more or less coherent pararaphs and chapters, and my job has been sucking the life out of me (in addiction to almost all my free time, weekends included). I hope you'll still keep reading even the rest of the updates will be more erratic and not on a tight schedule!  
> The second arc is about to start and that means coming out to their friends as a couple and dealing with the reality of their current lives and occupations (Frong's to be precise since being a doctor is definitely less scandalous and more acceptable than being paid for sex favors). Hopefully they will hold on tight to each other despite the hard time that are about to come, right?  
> How have you all been lately? Leave a comment!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thara is the lightness he has missed in his life.

**FRONG**

  
Thara is so focused on whatever he is stirring on the stove that he doesn't notice him sneaking up on him. He just turns his head and smiles when he circles his arms around his waist, palms open resting on his stomach as he presses his lips against the doctor's shoulder. Frong stands on his tiptoes and peaks on the content of the pot, his mouth watering as breathes in the smell of soap mixed with that of the boiling _khao tom_. 

  
"Two more minutes and we can eat," Thara says as if he knew exactly what was on his mind.

"Yes, please. I'm starving," he leaves a couple of more kisses on his neck before reluctantly stepping back, his phone ringing from its place on the table. He reads his Kao's name on the screen and picks up. "What?"

"Are we watching the game today? I'm coming to your place. She has her girls over later and I don't want to be here when they all swarm into our apartment."

"Can't. I'm not at home."

He sits down and takes a sip of hot coffee from Thara's mug: it is more bitter than he expects but it suits him.

"Right, your first official date was yesterday. You slept over?"

"Yup, I got dicked down so good last night I can barely walk."

From the other side of the kitchen Thara chokes and the ladle he was holding slips from his hand, a spoonful of soup splattering on the floor. Frong laughs at the flabbergasted expression on his face as Kao makes gagging noises through the phone.

"Are you making sex jokes because you are over the moon but too embarassed to say it?"

"Shut up," he replies, Kao's mocking chuckles annoying him. "I am not!"

"Sure, whatever you say, loverboy. Now that you got yourself a boyfriend you ditch me."

"Sorry man," he smiles while watching Thara cleaning up the mess he made. His cheeks are flushed and he rubs a cloth on the floor as he mutters words he can't make out, partly because of the distance and partly because of the chain of complaints Kao is firing in his ear. He knows his sulking for being left out is nothing serious, but he still humors him with the promise of a guys night over the week. 

"My boyfriend is that good," he says once he has hung up and walked again over to Thara. "I should boast about it."

"I was caught by surprise," he replies as he dries his wet hands. "But I don't mind it much. And you're not too bad either."

Frong lets himself being enveloped in his arms, his big hands on his ass pulling him close enough to press their crotches together. He gasps when he feels him getting harder and has barely time to look up just in time to see Thara's face coming close and give him one of the most sensual kisses to date. He is reminded of their first kiss on the dancefloor at his friend's wedding, when they didn't know each other but somehow a gut feeling hinted at them they would be heading somewhere together soon. It was a ninetynine percent attraction back then, the remaining one percent an unexplainable emotion stirred within him by the way Thara's intense gaze made him feel: gorgeous and desired, almost loved as if that would have been possible.

"Just not too bad? It doesn't sound right, P'Doc," arms wrapped around his neck, Frong whispers in his ear making sure his breath tickles Thara's skin. He feels him shiver and smiles as he bites his earlobe, the brushes his mouth against his jaw. "Maybe last night was too much for you and you blacked out, totally forget how good it was. Maybe after lunch I should show you again, help you formulate an appropriate judgement on my skills." 

"Or you can show me now," Thara says pulling slightly away to look into his eyes. "Eat later."

"P'Doctor, you just like me too much and are using this as an excuse to get laid again."

Thara laughs, his eyes squinting and his mouth open in the happiest grin. He likes being the one putting a smile on his face and finds him adorable when he let himself go like that. 

"So what if I do?"

"Let's leave the food for later," he grins jumping up and wrapping his legs around his boyfriend's waist, glad of his fast reflexes. "And take me to bed, P'Doctor." 

He turns off the stove before carrying him all the way to the room, their laughs echohoing between the walls of his home as they uncerimoniously fall on the mattress.

Thara is the lightness he has missed in his life: a lazy Sunday with person he likes, no thoughts of debts and money. Just the eyes full of love of his boyfriend as he looks at him like he cherishes him, his breath tickling his skin as he peppers his face with small kisses. Maybe it is like Thara said a few hours before: maybe he is happy too, like he hasn't been in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!   
> Super short update but I wanted to give you something before the end of the year. I hope you are all well and enjoying the last week of 2020. Let's leave this weird year behind and start the new one with a more positive mindset, new goals and the promise of being nicer to ourselves. And of course let's hope we'll be gifted more and better BLs!   
> By the way, is there anyone among you that watches GLs too? I wanted to check those out but I don't know where to start! Leave your suggestions in the comments!


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That's what he deserves for being a stubborn ass. He still talks no sense even when I told him a million times I'm not into his boyfriend. He just gets a kick ouf of antagonizing me."
> 
> "Says the pot about the kettle."

**FRONG**

  
He looks around and sighs as he rubs his forehead, a layer of sweat wetting his hand. The plan was to have a quick drink with Duen while he waited for Thara to get off work and meet him at his place so they could have dinner together. Instead he had found himself at a table full of Duen's old schoolmates he barely remembers, some paired up with boyfriends, girlfriends and spouses he never met. Apparently it had been their first reuinion in a long time so out of excitement, they had ended up exceeding with their alcohol intake, a few now dancing on the tables or singing off-key to the background music, the rest having conversations that made no sense to his sober ears. There is also a human chain swaying in the middle of the bar trying to sing some nostalgic university song he can hardly recognize. They were lucky the owner was a friend of theirs or they would have been kicked out a long time ago. 

Fortunetely Duen had called his cousin too and Thara had joined them half hour before. They had greeted each other in the most descreet way possible, their relationship still a secret for everyone but Kao, and he was now sitting in front of him, a smirk on his lips as he sips on his sparkling water while running his foot against his calf. 

"Are you drinking this, P'Yim?" 

A woman, he thinks her name is Ting, grabs his glass before he can reply and swallows the whole thing in one gulp. She moans in appreciation before a hiccup takes her by surprise. She laughs on her own and pull up her hair, uselessly straighten the creases on her white shirt and starts screaming to the guys on the other side of the room before rushing to them and jumping on the back of Duen. 

Out of the corner of his eye he sees King as he drags his live-in boyfriend towards the back, probably to make out in the restroom or something like that. When he was still in school, and even after when he occasionally hung out with Duen, he had caught them more than once in a state of almost undress as they ate each other's face in dark corners, unused rooms or behind trees. Clearly their relationship never lacked passion: he shudders at the memory of walking on them during a party at King's house, Ram shirtless on top of his senior's chest unzipping his own jeans. Two seconds later and he would have come face to face with King having his mouth full of Ram. He had taken a step back, closed the door and shouted to lock it. None of them ever said a word about that night (King tried to joke about it once but he had ignored him, that image being one he'd rather forget).

He needs to take a leak but he guesses he better stay clear of the restroom if he doesn't want history to repeat itself. He is about to get up to get a new drink to replace the one that was stolen from him, and get away from the merciless teasing of his boyfriend whose foot now got to his thigh, before he gets too turned on to stand up in public, when Bohn sits next to him and stares, or at least tries to since his eyes look quite unfocused. He shifts on his chair a couple of times before slurring he doesn't like him and wondering why he is there with them since he didn't graduate with them or the nongs.

"I miss Duen," he smirks. "I haven't seen him much lately."

He can feel Thara's eyes shooting lasers at him from the other side of the table clearly not behind his choice of teasing Bohn every single time. 

"He didn't graduate with you either," he points at his boyfriend. "But you're being a pain in the ass to me only."

Bohn looks at Thara and sighs before turning to him again and speaking in what he mistakenly thinks is a low voice: "I know but he is my babe's cousin. Even if I don't like him I can't say anything."

He holds his laughter in front of the doctor's shocked expression because of the sudden confession: "He doesn't like you either, Thara."

"He's you senior, be respectful," Bohn smacks his shoulder when he notices the lack of honorifics. 

"Ow! Sorry, _P'Thara_ ," he apologizes with a wai, a smile hidden behind his hands. They have been dating for a couple of months so he has gotten used to call him by his name only, and since it is usually just the two of them he really doesn't have to mindful of that sort of formalities. They had decided to keep a low profile for a while, see how things went before making their friends part of their relationship. But things have been good, so good that sometimes he still can barely believe it is all real, that they are real and somebody like Thara is his man. Not because he was extraordinary, although he was. Not because he was perfect, although in his eyes he was. 

Because he was the person he could always rely on, the person that would let him be when he had an issue until he was ready to share his worries. He didn't push him, he waited for him: he waited for him to talk, he waited for him when he came back to his home after a work appointment, he waited for him to take a shower and wash away the smell of another person before they could be themselves again. He waited for him to reach his target goals without complaining, without adding to his guilt. He knew that Thara had been waiting for him to let go of his job and he had sworn to himself he was going to: he was almost there, they needed to hang in there for a little longer. 

Just a little longer.

Bohn is still going on about him and Duen being basically married and telling him to keep off and find himself a girl or a guy, he doesn't care, and Frong realizes he has been staring at Thara in the past few moments, lost in his own thoughts and his boyfriend's eyes. The doctor flashes him one of his blinding smiles and stands up to leave the table. He sees him reaching the exit and mumbles an excuse to the drunkard at his side before following him. He rounds the building looking for him when a hand grabs his wrist and he is pulled against the wall. Thara's scent reaches his nose before he can see him, the back of the bar darker than the entrance where he came from. 

"Stop riling him up or he'll never stop putting you and Duen together."

"That's what he deserves for being a stubborn ass. He still talks no sense even when I told him a million times I'm not into his boyfriend. He just gets a kick ouf of antagonizing me."

"Says the pot about the kettle."

"He's gonna quit only when he sees me settling down. Or not, maybe he'll keep being suspicious even then."

"Maybe you should talk less and show him."

Thara gets close, the tip of his nose leaving invisible trails on his cheek as he sucks the skin under his jaw. 

"Kiss me in front of him," he whispers against his adam's apple as he moves to the other side of his face. "Let him know you got your own man and have zero interest in his."

"Maybe I should," he replies, hands resting on Thara's hips, his thumb drawing circles on his skin under the polo shirt he is wearing. "I saw one too many girls looking way too insistently at you earlier. They should know this P'Doctor is mine."

Thara stops his ministrations and looks at him, seriousness in his gaze. "We can tell everyone," he tells him. "Or we can keep it a secret a bit longer. It's your call."

He does his best to ignore the butterflies having a dancing party in his stomach at the confirmation that he is still not ashamed of him. Letting their close ones in isn't a bad idea at his point, and he wants to show off too: let everybody know, feel free to touch him public. 

"Next time we can tell them," he says feeling a bit emotional because of the implications of the reveal. Their friends will be first, then maybe their families will follow. It screams serious relationship, it promises a committment. He isn't one to believe in forever but what if. 

"Not now?"

"They are all wasted," he laughs. "They might not even remember tomorrow and we'll have to do it over."

"So we are doing this?"

"Yeah," he says pulling his body closer. "Now kiss me before they come for us."

And when Thara grins before complying to his wish, he thinks there is nothing he is more sure of than them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a week! Wow, this feel good, it's great to be back!  
> Happy new year, everyone! Let's wait for more TharaFrong in 2021! The plans for season two are still on, right?
> 
> Ah, and yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed the fluff of the past few chapters... *grins evilly*


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He freezes and the words die on his lips when he sees Duen and Bohn in the middle of the living room, mouths gaping open.

**FRONG**

  
Leaving on the bed the clothes he was wearing with his client for their lunch appointment, he wears a pair of tracks he forgot at Thara's a few days before and steals one of his "trust me I'm a meme doctor" t-shirts. He has spent the rest of the afternoon at the gym, then stopped by Kao's restaurant for a chat and to pick up their dinner. They didn't really make plans for the night, but his evening client cancelled at the last minute, so he had decided to take this chance and pamper his boyfriend a little bit with his favorite dishes, dessert and a date night to remember.

He is hanging out with Cupcake, telling her about his surprise without disclosing the most intimate details, when he hears the door being opened and closed. It seems a bit early for Thara to be back but maybe it is their lucky day and they are going to have more time to themselves. 

"Hey, are you home alrea-"

He freezes and the words die on his lips when he sees Duen and Bohn in the middle of the living room, mouths gaping open.

"P'Thara said it was okay if came by to pick a couple of his books," Duen says, his voice hesitating.

"Oh," he tries to come up with something but his brain stays completely blank. "Yeah, go ahead." 

"What are you doing here?" Bohn looks intrigued and the smirk on his face isn't very promising. He is about to make up an excuse concerning Cupcake when he hears a

"Oh" coming from Duen whose eyes got suddenly wide the moment he probably recognized the top he was wearing. He almost curses because there is no way he would own a nerdy t-shirt like that one and that means one thing only: he has no way out of this situation.

"I told you I saw them making out outside of that bar the other night but you didn't believe me!"

"You drank the whole bar: how could I trust a single word coming out of your mouth?"

He sighs, any excuse sounding lame at this point: they have been busted. Their coming out plan ruined too, he mans up and smiles as he walks to the kitchen, the couple still arguing. He didn't realize anyone had seen them: Bohn had either been very stealthy or maybe Thara had kept him quite distracted. Most likely the second option was the right one, he still had a couple of hickeys on his neck: his boyfriend worked hard no matter what he did, his marks were always long lasting but he had been particularly passionate that night and he doubt the evidence would go away anytime soon.

"So you guys want a beer? I definitely need one."

He dismisses Duen's shocked expression when he looks at him as if he has grown one more head. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!   
> Baby update but a transition I needed! I hope you are doing amazing! <3


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He comes home to one of the most awkward scenes he has ever witnessed: Frong chugging on a beer, Bohn and Duen sitting on the couch in front of him, his cousin beet red but smiling in a quite creepy way and his boyfriend looking as smug as ever.

  
**THARA**

  
He comes home to one of the most awkward scenes he has ever witnessed: Frong chugging on a beer, Bohn and Duen sitting on the couch in front of him, his cousin beet red but smiling in a quite creepy way and his boyfriend looking as smug as ever. 

He was about to clock out when he received an SOS from Frong that said the duo had crashed his place and Duen had almost unbelievably caught on right away despite his notorious denseness when it came to romance. Of course they would have rather been the ones to divulge the news but this wasn't too bad either. Maybe just a bit surprising on their parts.

He leaves helmet and bag at the entrance and unbuttons his cardigan as he walks towards the guys. Duen and Bohn slightly bow while they give him a wai and he sits next to Frong, briefly squeezeing his shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"So..." he starts, unsure of what is left to say. The two share a look and Duen turns to him to speak first.

"P'Thara and P'Yim... ?"

"Yeah," he says gazing briefly at Frong who is trying to look as cool as he can but can't really hold the small smile on his lips at his next words. "We're together."

"How though? You didn't even know each other until a few months ago. And except for us you don't have anyone or anything in common, right?" 

"We ran into each other a couple of times," Frong's reply isn't completely a lie. Of course they can't go with the real story, at least not unless they leave out a few details, but it is true that a few coincidences brought them together in the very beginning. "And I guess we ended up getting to know each other."

"Wow," Duen seems genuinely happy for them. "How long? We didn't spend more than a few hours all together but I never noticed anything between you!"

"We should have known though," Bohn interrupts, eyes focused as if he connecting all the dots. "We used to beg P'Thara to join us for dinner or drinks, and even then he rarely said yes. But lately he's been coming out without us forcing him. And every single time Frong was there, too."

"We haven't dated for long actually," he ignores him pointing an accusing finger at him. "We were going to tell you but you found us out first."

"You didn't tell me they were coming!" Frong takes the last sip of his beer and puts the empty bottle back on the table before turning his way. His cheeks are slightly pink but his expression is resolute, Thara wants nothing but kiss him because he looks absolutely adorable. Instead he smiles and apologizes.

"Sorry, I forgot. But I thought you were busy tonight."

"Well, surprise? I figured we could have dinner since my engagement was cancelled at the last minute."

"I'm glad it was." 

They grin at each other, their audience forgotten and lost in their own world for a second. He might have very mixed feelings when it comes to Frong's job but he can't really quit him: they fit perfectly and even his quirks are too endearing for him to live without at this point. And how could he ignore the fact that as soon as he was free he ran straight to his place to spend time together, showing him that he is a priority in his life?

"Aww you guys are so cute! When I introduced you I kinda hoped for this to happen!" 

They turn to Duen who seems to be having troubles staying still in his seat. 

Thara is pretty sure he heard a small squee.

"And now you can stop bothering P'Yim and being jealous all the time," he adds looking at Bohn, who quietly examines both of them, suspicion still clear on his features.

"I don't know," he states slowly. "What if he's pretending to be interested in P'Thara just to get close to you?"

It happens in a flash: an unidentified object shots in a blur from his side and he sees Bohn being hit in the face but what turns out to be one of the cushions of his couch. 

"You're crazy," is all Frong says from his place next to him before relaxing against his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I hope you guys are doing alright, I miss talking to you! Next chapter is almost done as well so I might be able to drop it in a few days so stay tuned!


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He is waiting right outside, in one hand a white peony taken out from the bouquet he has left in the car. It is cheesy and romantic and definitely not his style, but he bets his boyfriend will love it. And to be honest the doctor's cheesiness has been rubbing off on him too. 
> 
> One more problem, a quite significant one, rises when Thara finally exits the premises of the hospital. 
> 
> With two doctors in tow.

**FRONG**

  
It is Thara's birthday and he had it all planned out: he would pick him up after work, drive to the pier and take a short walk at sunset, hand in hand, along the river before boarding on a cruise ship for a luxury dinner. Then they would spend the night and the next morning at the hotel he had booked, in a suite with a small private terrace and the best view over Wat Arun. They would be lazy and have breakfast in bed, preferably naked so they could dive straight into a last round of sex without the hassle of shredding useless pieces of clothes before going back to the reality of their daily lives.

What he didn't expect was Thara running late because of an emergency, but there was nothing he could do about that. Besides it ended up taking away just half hour of their time which meant they could just skip the short walk and get on board for their dinner.

He is waiting right outside, in one hand a white peony taken out from the bouquet he has left in the car. It is cheesy and romantic and definitely not his style, but he bets his boyfriend will love it. And to be honest the doctor's cheesiness has been rubbing off on him too. 

One more problem, a quite significant one, rises when Thara finally exits the premises of the hospital. 

With two doctors in tow.

He recognizes them right away from the night he met Thara months before: Boom and Am, his friends and coworkers who are also a couple. He knows about them from the dozens of stories he has been told and, remembering Am's tendency to pry into everyone's life, his first instinct is to run: forget dinner, Thara would understand that he has to survive. As long as he knows, Thara never told them that the person he is dating is the same escort they saw that evening. But they saw him back then and he doesn't know what to feel about the possibility they would remember him. They are smart people and Frong is obviously aware of his extremely handsome looks: there is no way they have forgetten him, not with a face like his. He knows that no matter the outcome, both him and Thara are ready to deal with the consequences, but he hopes their dating won't create troubles between him and the important people in his life.

Am rushes to his side and hooks her arm with his, ecstatic to finally see him person. 

"I was starting to think he had made up an invisible boyfriend," she says looking him up and down. "Now I see why he was keeping you hidden."

"And I was right," Thara says delicately slapping her hand and succeeding in making her move away. "That's my boyfriend you're hugging. Keep your distance, especially since yours is right in front of you witnessing the whole scene."

"It doesn't bother me," Boom replies uninterested, suddenly busy looking down at his phone. "She likes looking at pretty things but she only loves me."

Frong chuckles, Thara's extravagant stories about the two of them confirmed to be real, and officially introduces himself. They talk for a few minutes until he apologizes for cutting their meeting short but they have a boat to board on. 

If they have caught on his identity they don't show it nor do they say anything.

"This is for you," he holds out the flower as they walk to the car. "I was going to give it to you earlier but.."

"You were ambushed?" Thara smiles and his eyes seem to shine more than usual as he smells the peony. "They heard you were waiting outside and just followed me."

"It's okay. It was time to meet them, too," he unlocks the car and reaches on the backseat to take the bouquet. "These are yours too."

His boyfriend has the most adorable stunned expression, clearly he wasn't expecting the gesture and Frong pats himself on back, proud for having made the effort.

"You didn't have to," Thara says once they are both sitting inside, flowers resting on his knees.

"Of course I did. And it's just the beginning," he starts the car and smirks.

"Right, you said something about a boat?"

"Yup. I'm kidnapping you until tomorrow," he turns to the side to look at Thara: he is smiling, a very rare blush lighting up his cheeks. Sometimes he feels that since the very beginning he has mostly been on the receiving end, that he seldomly has the chance to be the one in charge of their happiness. For months he has kept taking and taking: food, attention, kindness, support. Thara is older and sometimes as serious as a grandpa, so he tends to be the responsible one in their relationship. The one in charge, the one taking care of him. Frong likes being pampered but he has discovered pretty soon that he likes pampering his boyfriend too: not many things in life beat the light in his eyes and the look on his face whenever he surprises him with something unexpected. He had changed because he was never like that before.

"And I already took care of Cupcake so you don't have to worry."

"Yeah?"

Thara looks at him with so much love and he that is exactly how he wants to be looked at for the rest of ther lives. 

"Yeah," he leans in, stopping a breath away from Thara's lips. "Happy birthday, love." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> Even though I miss talking to you, I see you're all still reading. I hope you still enjoy the story! Drop a line in the comments if you feel like it!


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So," she pauses and drinks one more sip of her coffee before looking at him straight in the eyes. "How's it like?"
> 
> Her question confuses him and he shifts in his chair trying to understand what she is referring to. "What?"
> 
> "Dating a sex worker," Am says without missing a beat, as serious as when she is dealing with a difficult case. "He's that guy, right? The escort from that night."

**THARA**

  
It is almost noon when he arrives at the hospital, his schedule making it impossible to take more than a morning off. He would have preferred spending the whole day with his boyfriend cuddling in the huge bed of the hotel room he had booked the night before, silky sheets and scented candles and nobody bothering them. Dinner had been excellent, the atmosphere romantic and he couldn't have asked for a more memorable birthday, even though Frong had sulked a little because not everything had one according to his plans. 

  
He has half hour before his first appointment so he decides to quickly review today's cases even if he has already studied all of them and doesn't need further preparations. He has barely looked into the first page of one of the files that for the second time in the span of a little over twelve hours, Am disrupts the plan when she enters unannounced, two coffees in hand, and sits right in front of him without saying anything. He tries to crack a joke about that misplaced seriousness on her face but her gaze is heavy and his guts tell him she is not there to chat about the weather.

"You know, if you came all the way here you must need something. How about we do this quickly? My first patient is gonna be here soon," he takes a sip of his coffee and almost moans. He had a rough night and barely slept so any amount of caffeine is a godsend.

"He's very handsome," she says, no need to add the name of the person she is referring to. "And quick-witted, too."

"Too much for me?" he asks, eyebrow raised. He knows he lucked out with Frong but he doesn't expect anyone to say that in his face.

"No," she laughs, and he lowers his guard for a moment. "He looks perfect for you. And he seems to like you. A lot."

"I like him a lot too."

"Yeah, I can tell. You've been smiling at your phone lately and you're always giggling when he calls."

"I do not giggle."

"And sometimes you get a silly dreamy expression on your face and it's so annoying, really," she adds ignoring him. Maybe he worried for nothing. 

"So," she pauses and drinks one more sip of her coffee before looking at him straight in the eyes. "How's it like?"

Her question confuses him and he shifts in his chair trying to understand what she is referring to. "What?"

"Dating a sex worker," Am says without missing a beat, as serious as when she is dealing with a difficult case. "He's that guy, right? The escort from that night."

Thara hoped she had forgotten about Frong since she only saw him once and ages ago. Their meeting back than had been meaningless and devoid of any interection, and nobody ever brought him up again after that. Unfortunately for him, her memory is way better than he gives her credit for.

"You remember."

"It's kinda hard to forget a guy like him. He was hot but that wasn't the only reason we noticed him, right? The reason he was there was what caught our attention," she leaves her half empty cup on his desk and gets closer, elbows resting on the mahogany, her gaze inquisitive. "Is that why you didn't introduce him to us right away? Were you worried?"

She seems more curious than mad or judgemental so he decides to be as straightforward as he can. They are friends and it is only fair that they are honest with each other, especially now that his relationship with Frong has become public to all the people who matter in their lives. 

"Do I have any reason to be worried?"

"Dear, I love you and I want you to be happy, you know that. And you've been so happy lately," she smiles sweetly but he can see a hint of doubt in the way she nervously bites her lower lip.

"But?"

"I'm not judging him but... how does it work? Is he still a...?"

"Yes," he sighs overlooking the fact she avoided saying out loud Frong's profession. "It's temporary. He does that for a reason but he's gonna quit."

"I should have brought cookies, too. Or pop corn," she thinks out loud and he rolls his eyes. "How did you even get into this?"

"We happened to meet outside once," he tells her as he remembers finding out he was a friend of his cousin when they had dinner once, their subway trip together when Frong gave him his phone number out of nowhere. "It turned out we have acquintances in common and I guess we became sort of friendly."

"Hold on," she interrupts him suddenly hitting her palms on the wood, the desk shaking and their coffees dangerously close to spilling. "Your date at the wedding! That was him?!"

"Yes, it wasn't a friend doing me a favor," he scatches his neck knowing exactly what is coming next and dreading it. "I kinda hired him."

"Kinda? Everyone said you kissed! Did you have sex with him? Did you pay him?!"

"Yes, yes and yes," he looks away. He is not ashamed of how they got togehter but he is not an idiot, and he knows exactly how bad it would look to everyone else.

"Oh my god, you got yourself a hooker! You paid for sex!"

"It's complicated," he looks stills for a moment hoping nobody outside of his office heard her. "And keep your voice down!"

"But isn't it prostitution?" 

She asks softly, the shock evident despite her whispering. Out loud like that it sounds to his ears like she just shouted her question at the top of her lungs and he flinches, unable to deny that yes, that was the truth no matter how much he tried to focus on the romantic side of their encounters. He doesn't expect anyone to understand and it might have not been his best decision but he would do it over again, all of it, if it meant ending up together. 

"I'm confused though. You said it hasn't been long and that wedding happened more than six months ago."

"I told you it's complicated so let's say we sort of started seeing each other a while after that. But we put a label on us only recently." 

He hopes she would get it so he doesn't have to say it out loud. 

Thankfully she has the brains because in a matter of seconds her mouth opens in an astonished O.

"Hold on: is that how you fell for him? You were a client? Like, a regular one?"

"I'm pretty sure it was love at first sight, at least for me," he confesses. "I know it's fucked up."

"But now you're a couple and you don't pay him anymore?"

"Correct."

He can almost hear the wheels spinning in her head as she quietly picks up her coffee again and finishes it in a couple of gulps. He knows it is a lot to process, in her shoes his reaction would have probably been worse and messier, so he appreciates that despite the initial shock she is actually thinking throughly before adding to her questions.

"Does that mean that he has sex with other people for money and then he comes home to you and sleeps with you too?" 

"Yeah," he nods. "Just not right after." 

"And are you ok with that?"

He sighs. "I'm not, not completely. But I can't say anything about it. It's just a job, even if it's out of the ordinary. Besides as I told you he doesn't do it because he likes it. With them," he refers to Frong's clients. "It is just an act."

"But aren't you afraid that what happened with you might happen with another?"

"To be honest no, that's not what scares me," Thara laughs nervously. "He's been doing this for years and it never happened. He's very business-like about it. And he's not one to open up easily. He's very guarded and it took me forever to make him understand he could trust me and my feelings. What scares me the most is myself."

Am waits for him to elaborate, and he is thankful she isn't interrupting him with more questions. He had been dying to talk to someone about this, but couldn't turn to anyone not only because their relationship was a secret but most of all because no one was aware of Frong's real job. Some thoughts had been keeping him up at night, eating him inside little by little and even if he had hoped she wouldn't recognize him, maybe deep down he secretely wished she would, so he could finally share his burdens.

"I'm afraid he won't quit," he reveals. "Or that maybe he won't do it soon enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is one of my favorite chapters to date, I hope you like it too. It became really long and I had to split it in two different parts, so stay tuned because tomorrow you'll get part two! ;)


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On same days he feels more insecure and resteless, and on those days no matter how much Frong scrubs his skin under the hot water, Thara feels it is never enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part two! It takes off exactly where we stopped in chapter 37

**THARA**

  
"He doesn't always sleep with them," he continues. "Most of the times he's really just their plus one to social functions or dinners. But some are _that kind_ of clients. We don't really talk about them though. Just... when he does it with one of them I know right away, at least when the appointments are at night."

When they got together and said yes to this insanity he had no idea how it would feel. He was jealous of the other clients when he was one of them and felt the pressure of the competition: how could a pretty average nerd with a lizard compare to gorgeous women and handsome men, all of them wealthier than him? Insecurity had made him more aggressive in his pursuit and eventually he had won. But the moment they had taken their relationship to a new level everything changed: now he knows that he understood nothing before, that he only marched forward to his goal until reality had hit him hard. He had experienced pain because of love before but it had been nothing like that.

Sometimes he can't breathe.

"He comes home and takes long showers," he explains trying not to choke on his words and doing his best to sound the most natural he can. "And he doesn't get close to me: he doesn't kiss me, he doesn't touch me for hours, sometimes until the day after. Unless I make the first move," he finishes. 

In the beginning Frong would go back to his own place after work when he slept with other people. But Thara had missed him and, set on proving that his job wasn't a problem, he had told him to go to his place and sleep over even on those nights. 

The first time it happened he had waited for him so they could have tea and hang out a bit before turning in. And when Frong closed the door behind his back, he had run to welcome him home with a hug and a kiss not expecting to smell a perfume that wasn't Frong's. Not expecting to notice right away the faint trace of small hickey on his neck which was definitely not his doing. Frong had noticed him going stiff, he was sure of that, but none of them had said anything. 

Then the second time happened: he had greeted him with a smile and a kiss on the cheek but left a small distance between them. After that Frong had started a habit of going straight into the shower whenever he came back. Even if he always washed up before leaving those hotels rooms, Thara was sure that other's people scents lingered and maybe Frong smelled it too. At some point they created a new routine where Thara would pretend to be asleep, like a coward, and wait for his boyfriend to get rid of any evidence of what he did a few hours before. Time had passed but it never became easier.

On same days he feels more insecure and resteless, and on those days no matter how much Frong scrubs his skin under the hot water, Thara feels it is never enough.

"Do you do it often?" Am's question brings him out of his thoughts. "I mean making the first move."

"I don't know," he tries to think about it. "Half of the times maybe. Sometimes during the night but usually in the morning, I guess. Frong probably stays away out of respect for me but it makes things worse: I start thinking, and imagine him with somebody else. And..." he doesn't say how he dreams of Frong having sex with many other faceless men and women while he can't do anything but watch helplessly. Sometimes he even dreams of his boyfriend kissing Doctor Nanthiyakun even though he assured him that back then their deal pertained dinner only, no sex. "He senses my discomfort but sometimes I wish he was the one coming to me first, instead of waiting for me to be ready."

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"It's hard on him too," he says. She knows his answer already but he wants to protect Frong too, at least in her eyes so she wouldn't think less of him. 

Am smiles sympathetically and nods: "Okay, but it's you I'm worried about."

"I want us to be good. I was the one who insisted on dating and I promised him I would wait and deal with this situation the best way I can. But weeks went by, months actually. And nothing has changed. And it's getting harder," he says again and he feels like a broken record: he makes excuses, then acts noble with his sacrifices and that's not how he wants Am to perceive their relationship to be. But he kept it all bottled up and now he can't seem to stop spilling out his feelings about the whole situation. "Is it wrong that I want him for myself only even though I know what he does with them means nothing? Am I unreasonable?"

"You aren't. He's your boyfriend and you just wish to be the only one for him."

"I am, I know I am! He thinks of me only and gives me everything! He planned the best birthday surprise, he's there for me and takes care of me when I'm too busy with work. We have so much fun together not matter what we do. Sometimes he's so silly that the most boring activity becomes so entertaining: we don't even have to do anything: just being together is special and fun. And he loves cupcake," he adds, his chest feeling warmer every time he thinks about both of them. "He feeds her and plays with her when I can't. And Cupcake likes him too: you know she's wary of anyone."

"She's quite bitchy," she agrees with a smile.

"He asked somebody he knows to design a brand new terrarium for her and he gave me the final project saying she'd have much more space and games and she could be more active and not get bored. It would almost be as if she was in the wilderness," he laughs and even Am's eyes go soft. "I mean, it's my pet and I know I spoil her a lot but it's a lizard! He got a professional to work on the perfect ecosystem for a lizard! Believe me, I know how important I am for him."

"How about you talk to him about this then?"

"How can I?" he shakes his head thinking about how Frong's future depends on the money he is making right now. He knows well about both his projects and his pride, and there is no way he will impose his selfish wishes or his finances on him. It would make them fight a fight he would surely lose. "He's doing this out of need and I don't want him to feel guilty because I can't deal with it like a reasonable adult."

"You're only human. It's okay to be selfish and expect your partner to listen to your worries. Maybe you can find a compromise together."

"We can't, not for this," he dismisses her suggestion and looks down at the vibrating phone. From the preview he sees it is a message from Frong telling him he got home and he will see him tonight, sushi on him for dinner. He added a smirking emoji and Thara already knows that there is a good chance of arriving home to find his half-naked boyfriend covered in plates full of sushi and sashimi. It woulnd't be the first time.

"I'm in love with him. But sometimes I'm not sure if it's enough to get through this," he says half-laughing, his throat dry and the emotions clenching around his neck. "And yes, to reply to your question from earlier, it fucking hurts."

Am gets up from her chair and circles his desk, only stopping when her knee hits his leg as she wraps her arms around him. He holds her wrist and rubs the soft cotton of her sleeve as they remain quiet for a couple of seconds. He didn't know how much he needed to be comforted until now.

"I don't want to get to the point where I have no choice but to separate from him, Am. But it's getting really hard."

"You guys will find a way to work everything out," she pats his back reassuringly. "And I'll be here whenever you need to vent or talk behind his back. I'll even cut his dick off if that means he'll stop doing what he's doing."

"That wouldn't make me very happy but I appreciate the good intention," he chuckles holding back the tears and hugging her tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, the time has come. Thara tried to stick his head in the sand as long as he could but you can't really ignore your issues forever, right? We're all gona face the reality of their relationship soon, so be ready.   
> No matter what happens next, rememeber that Thara and Frong will have their happy ever after. Right now I'm sure more than ever that they deserve it.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Your mother asked us for tea and we're making her wait because you had this sudden urge to eat my ass."
> 
> "I didn't hear you complain."

**FRONG**

  
"I can't believe we're late!" he almost shouts exasperated as he literally drags Thara across the busy road. "And it's your fault!"

"It's not a big deal."

"Your mother asked us for tea and we're making her wait because you had this sudden urge to eat my ass."

"I didn't hear you complain," his boyfriend says and Frong is unsure if he wants to slap the smirk off his mouth or kiss it. Or both.

Thara's mother is a sweet lady he was introduced to a few weeks before when they ended up having dinner at the same restaurant. Their meeting had been a coincidence but she was nothing but nice, to the point of telling him she was happy to finally see him in person since her son had been talking about him for a long time. Frong wasn't really used to being introduced to mothers, the gay scene being more closeted than one would expect, and even his relationship with the girls had always been pretty casual. On top of that he hadn't done any serious dating since college so the chances of meeting parents had been quite low.

His boyfriend's mom had asked them to make time over the weekend so they could to know each other better, and he hated being late especially since he already felt bad about having to lie about his occupation, too. But as sought advice on the most appropriate outfit to wear, Thara's eyes had looked at him in a way that had rendered him unable to deny him anything and in a matter of seconds he had found himself with his back against the mattress, mountains of clothes around them, and a hot tongue sensually teasing his most sensitive zone. 

"You hid my phone and your watch and I couldn't check the time," he talks back shaking off the memories of what went down just less than one hour before. 

"They were right next to you, stop making excuses. You wanted it as much as I did."

Of course he did, his doctor was the best sex he ever had. But he wasn't going to admit shit, not when he had every right to chastise him.

"Were you always such a horny straighforward motherfucker? I'm quite positive you used to filter out a thought here and there."

"Yup, I have always been like this but I restrained myself a bit for a while." Thara pinches his side and Frong squeals. "I was trying to impress you. Now I don't have to anymore."

"C'mon, lover boy. Mommy is waiting," he scoffs as he open the door to the establishment they were supposed to meet, a quirky but beautiful cafè decorated from floor to ceiling with natural flowers and branches, soft lights spread over the warm brick walls. His own mom would have loved that place.

"You don't have to worry," Thara almost whispers squeezing his hand. "It's gonna be fine."

"I'm not worried." Of course his boyfriend would have picked up on his nervousness, because even if he wasn't particularly concerned he still wanted his mom to like him. And for that to happen they couldn't make any mistakes in front of her. "Play nice and keep your hands to yourself, and I'll let you have my ass later in any way you want," he adds with a wink.

They have barely stepped inside though when he finds himself face to face with a familiar woman, a client he worked for several times last year. In a moment he drops Thara's hand that he was holding, leaving him momentarily dumbfunded. Khun Phai, that's her name, greets him warmly and even if they are not touching anymore, he feels Thara going stiff next to him. It is the first time they happen to run into a client since they got together and there is only one thought occupying his mind: he wants him gone. He wishes Thara was as far away as possible from the situation because he doesn't deserve to endure that too but he cant tell him to leave, not in front of her. 

They all stand there for merely a couple of seconds but they feel like an eternity. Fortunately before she asks about him, Thara tells him he has spotted his mom and he will wait at the table while he catches up with his "friend". He nods and his eyes follow him as he walks away, heart clenching when in front of Phai's curiosity he has to reply that that person is _a Phi he knows_. 

Even though he is much more than that. 

Even though he has become everything to him.

Even though he is the one person he can't be without.

He barely notices her relieved expression until he feels her hand on his arm, thumb stroking his bicep when she asks him if he can squeeze her in, even now since she has a couple of hours free.

He takes a step back so she would let go, and apologizes saying he took the whole weekend off to deal with private stuff he can't put off. She looks disappointed but promises to call him on Monday so they can schedule an appointment, tells him it was great to see him with a last quick hug.

When she is gone and he turns in the direction of their table he sees it: Thara is looking right at him, face frozen, eyes cold. He saw it all, he knows that. 

Frong feels like throwing up.

So much for not fucking up. The day is ruined and of course, he is the one to blame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thanks to all of you who keep reading! We're heading towards the end, although I'm not sure about the number of chapters left - I keep adding stuff but I'd say more or less ten to go. Hopefully I'll be able to put up the next chapter soon ;)


End file.
